The Eyes Have It
by Giovanni-Kuroi-Tora
Summary: When Tai Lung turns up at the Jade Palace after being defeated at the hands of the Dragon Warrior, many questions arise. Emotions run high as Tai Lung tries to gain the trust of the Furious Five, and sort out his own feelings. Tai Lung x Tigress
1. Prologue

Right, first of all, I do not own Kung Ku Panda or any of its associated stuff. Secondly, this story takes place after the movie, thus everything that happened in the movie happened prior to this story. The one exception is that Tai Lung trained with the Furious Five before he was imprisoned, and after that he was only in jail for 5 years, to fix a gaping age difference between him and the members of the Furious Five. My first fanfic, so hate lovingly.

* * *

It was a cold, clear night in April, and a sinister wind blew across the Valley of Peace. A cloaked figure slowly climbed the steps of the Jade Palace. At the top of the steps, an elderly red panda was waiting, watching the shadowy form draw nearer. The ghastly figure reached the top step, and kneeled before the panda.

"I have come home, master," it said in a voice that implied neither aggression nor submission. The red panda kept his face completely neutral as the dark figure rose. Its hood fell back, revealing the face of Tai Lung.

"I come asking your forgiveness," Tai Lung continued, "and that I may once again train under you, Master Shifu."

"I knew that the Wuxi Finger Hold would not destroy you," Shifu stated, avoiding the question. "I knew that you would return to the Valley of Peace, and to me. If you are earnest in your resolve to train as a true warrior here, then I have no objection." There was a long pause. The wind whipped around the two kung-fu masters, making them shudder involuntarily.

"But know this." Shifu's voice had broken the silence, and was very different from before- all the cold loathing that he could muster had manifested itself in his words. "Give me one reason to suspect you of treachery- _one reason_- and you'll wish they kept you nice and safe back in Chor Ghom." With that, Shifu turned on his heel and walked back into the Jade Palace, leaving Tai Lung alone on the windy landing.

* * *

"Students," Shifu called, walking into the dormitories of the Jade Palace. At once, the Furious Five appeared at their doors, and Po half a second behind everyone else.

"Students," Shifu began calmly, "I have an announcement to make."

* * *

"What?"

"You're not serious!"

"With all due respect master, I don't think…"

"SILENCE!" Shifu bellowed. He knew that this wasn't going to be easy for his pupils to accept. "I believe that Tai Lung sincerely means to better himself by training at the Jade Palace."

"Master, please," Tigress began defiantly, "It's bad enough that Tai Lung is still alive,"- she cast a meaningful look at Po- "But to have him train here? At the Jade Palace?"

"That's crazy!" Mantis said in disbelief, nervously grinding his forelegs together.

"The last time he was here he almost destroyed the village! And you!" Monkey added.

Viper was the next to speak. "How can you trust such a conniving…"

"SILENCE!" Shifu was genuinely annoyed now. "Tai Lung will be moving in tomorrow, so I expect ALL of you to welcome him as you would anyone else." For the second time that night, Shifu turned around curtly and retreated back to his office.

A long, awkward, silence followed, during which the Furious Five looked at each other incredulously.

"Dinner, anyone?" Po asked tentatively.

Shifu settled into a meditative position and tried to clear his mind. He could understand his students' concern, especially after all the trouble Tai Lung had caused the Valley of Peace. _There's something different about him now, though_, Shifu thought. When Shifu had looked into Tai Lung's eyes that night, he no longer saw the mad hunger for power. He no longer saw the unquenchable desire for the Dragon Scroll. Instead, Shifu saw his son, desperate and lost, needing guidance. Convinced that he had made the right choice in accepting Tai Lung into the Jade Palace, Shifu fell into a deep meditation.

Back in the student dormitories, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior were beginning to go to bed, minds laden with their own thoughts and feelings about what was to come. Everyone had put out their lamp; most of them were asleep. However, although Tigress's light had long since been extinguished, she was not in her room. In fact, she was no longer even in the Jade Palace. Tigress was walking quietly down a street in the village, with a specific destination in mind.


	2. A Walk Across The Rooftops

Tai Lung sat on a rooftop in the village, enjoying the cool night air. He had sat in this very spot many times as a cub- it was the place he came to whenever he needed to be alone. Tai Lung gazed up at the majestic Jade Palace towering over the village. The words that Shifu had spoken to him earlier that night lingered in his mind.

"_If you are earnest in your resolve to train as a true warrior, then I have no objection."_ That _was_ what Tai Lung wanted, wasn't it? To become an honest and true warrior? _Not only that,_ Tai Lung thought, _I need Shifu. I need his acceptance, his pride._ Beneath it all, though, Tai Lung felt as though something else had driven him back to the Jade Palace. The more he thought about it, the emptier his motive for returning to the Jade Palace seemed. _Why am I here?_ Tai Lung asked himself again and again, _seeking solace among those who hate me the most?_

"I thought I'd find you here," a soft female voice said from behind Tai Lung. Startled, the pensive snow leopard whipped around. Before him stood Master Tigress. "It seems that old habits die hard," Tigress continued, remembering how she used to see Tai Lung climb to this rooftop whenever the stress of training overwhelmed him.

"What do you want?" Tai Lung asked bluntly, suddenly feeling slightly nervous.

"I should be the one asking you that question," Tigress responded, taking a step closer. "What do you have to gain by returning to the Jade Palace?" Tigress asked, a note of suspicion in her voice.

Tai Lung remained silent for a long while before finally saying,

"I was asking myself the same question."

Tai Lung rose and began walking back across the rooftop, and onto the next building.

Something compelled Tigress to follow him, and as she walked beside Tai Lung, she noticed how the moonlight glistened off his silver fur. They continued to walk for several minutes, neither of them speaking. Tigress finally broke the silence by saying,

"There must be a reason that you came back here."

Tai Lung turned to look at her, and their eyes locked. Before then, Tai Lung had never appreciated how beautiful Tigress's eyes were. In that moment, Tai Lung realized why he returned to the Jade Palace.

Speaking very softly, Tai Lung said simply, "There is."

Tigress's expression clouded; she stood there for a moment longer, and then, without a word, she was gone.


	3. The Labor of Lust

Morning-

Training at the Jade Palace had begun at the toll of the morning bell, as usual, but none of the six students could seem to focus.

"_What _is the matter with you!?" Shifu screamed as Tigress was struck by one of the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion for the third time that morning.

"I am deeply sorry, master," she said, massaging her shoulder where the club had made impact. The morning training had not been going well. Viper had singed her tail on the fiery obstacle course, and Monkey had lost his grip on one of the rings on the ceiling and had fallen on top of Mantis, who kept getting pummeled by the maze of rotating clubs. Shifu was in a foul mood by the time Po lost a sparring match to the training dummy- the first time in several weeks.

"THAT DOES IT!" Shifu yelled at the top of his voice. "YOU ARE ALL OBVIOUSLY TOO PREOCUPIED TO TRAIN PROPERLY! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT FOR AT LEAST TEN MINUTES!"

The Furious Five and Po bowed to Shifu and left the training hall quickly. Shifu sighed in exasperation and dropped into a meditative position.

* * *

"Looks like your prized students aren't handling the news too well," a familiar voice said. Shifu opened his eyes to see Tai Lung standing over him. Rising, Shifu said, "No, they are not. So don't give them any reason to doubt you. Don't give _me_ any reason to doubt you, for that matter." Just then, the door to the training hall opened.

"We apologize for our lack of focus this morning," Tigress began. She looked up to see Tai Lung regarding her and the rest of the students. Her look of surprise quickly turned to icy calculation. "You're here," she stated coolly.

"Yes," replied Tai Lung, "and I am quite amused by your… _training_… routines. I had no idea that Shifu's standards had fallen so low!" he teased. Tigress's eyes flashed dangerously.

Po took a step forward, and, remembering what Shifu had said last night offered him his hand. "Er… good to see you again, I think…"

Tai Lung ignored Po's gesture and asked, "So when do we begin the real training?"

* * *

After a few warm-up exercises, Shifu instructed everyone to have sparring matches with each other in the courtyard. At first, everyone was quite uncomfortable with sparring against Tai Lung, but after a few matches (which Tai Lung easily won), the fact that nobody had died yet led the Furious Five to believe that Tai Lung would play fair. Tigress was the next in line to spar Tai Lung, and she was determined to not let him win.

"The others may trust you, but _I_ do not. Don't expect to be able to pull anything funny on me," Tigress threatened as both her and Tai Lung took their fighting stances.

Tai Lung analyzed Tigress as he did all his opponents- her stance was perfect. There wasn't the slightest hesitation as her elegant form charged toward him… _Wait…_ Tai Lung snapped out of his "analysis" just in time to dodge her lunge, and retaliated with a flurry of punches, which to his surprise Tigress blocked. Tigress launched a thundering kick at Tai Lung's head, to which Tai Lung leaped over Tigress and landed behind her.

Tigress gasped as she felt Tai Lung caress her hindquarters.

"You really shouldn't leave your back so unprotected," Tai Lung began, before a striped paw slapped him across the face.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Tigress demanded, raising her other hand to hit him. Tai Lung took a step back from the advancing femme fatale. The sheepish snow leopard cringed as Tigress's hand went back again. Instead of hitting him, though, Tigress let her hand fall to her side and said, "I knew you'd try something tricky, but _honestly_…" Tigress's voice trailed away as she turned around and joined the other five fighters in the corner, who were trying desperately not to burst out laughing. Just then, Shifu walked into the courtyard-

_He must have been watching the whole time,_ Tai Lung thought, blushing slightly.

"What are you all doing? Stop sitting around and get back to training!"

Hoping to save face, Tai Lung asked casually, "So who's next?"

The rest of the day went by without too much commotion; the Furious Five began to warm up to Tai Lung- Po even made a special lunch to celebrate Tai Lung's "return to awesomeness." By the time the warriors concluded their evening training, everyone had rather gotten used to the idea of Tai Lung being around.

That is, everyone except Tigress. She had pointedly _not_ held the door for him as they were returning from evening training, and she made sure to use all the hot water in the bathhouse before Tai Lung had washed. But Tai Lung didn't pay much attention to this.

Instead, he noticed the sensual sway of her hips when she walked, the smooth, even, tone of her voice. As Tai Lung laid on his bedroll in the Jade Palace for the first time in five years, he found himself wondering again how he had ended up back at his old home.

_What am I doing here?_ He asked himself, not for the first time. _Of course, my goal here is to improve my kung-fu, right? And to redeem myself by beating that fatso Dragon Warrior._ Right. _So what better place to do it than beside Master Shifu, the finest kung-fu master in all of China?_ But Tai Lung couldn't shake off the feeling that he had with Tigress last night. The _real_ reason he had come back had spent the day avoiding and spiting him. As Tai Lung succumbed to the quiet persistence of sleep, he found himself asking the same question as Tigress. _What the hell _**are** _you doing, Tai Lung?_


	4. Sympathy For The Devil

Tai Lung was having a rather pleasant dream in black and orange when the morning bell wrenched him from his sleep. By instinct, he hastily got dressed and stepped out into the corridor just as the Furious Five stepped out and simultaneously said,

"Good morning, master."

Shifu, who had been waiting at the end on the hall, nodded approvingly when he saw that Tai Lung was ready with the rest of the Five.

Moments later, Po came stumbling out of his room, still wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Mornin' master," he muttered groggily.

"Normally, I would lecture you about a lack of attentiveness," Shifu started, frowning slightly at Po's informal entrance, "but today I have some important news."

Everyone present straightened up a bit.

"This year, the Jade Palace will be hosting the annual San Xue Xiao martial arts tournament. We will begin preparations today…"

"**The** San Xue Xiao tournament!?" Po interrupted. "The one that only the three best martial arts schools in China get to compete in!?"

"Yes, that one!" Shifu said angrily. "Now if you'd kindly keep your **big** **mouth** shut, I might explain to you the details!"

Po shut his big mouth.

"Naturally, the Jade Palace will be competing. The two other schools are the Lee Da Kung-Fu Academy and…" Shifu paused here.

"What is the third school, master?" Viper asked curiously.

"This may come as rather unpleasant news to some of you," Shifu said. "The third competing school is the Tian Na Organization."

The Furious Five all stiffened at this.

Po and Tai Lung looked around, confused by the Five's reactions.

"Tian Na is a school of martial arts in the neighboring province," Shifu explained. "It is infamous for its brutal training methods, and more importantly, the Axiom."

"What the heck is the Axiom?" Po asked, baffled.

"_Who_ are the Axiom," Shifu corrected. "The Axiom are a group of four cheetah warriors trained at Tian Na. They are all very fast, very strong, and fierce rivals of our own Furious Five."

Po doubted that anybody could be quite as good as the Furious Five.

Tai Lung's interest was piqued by the prospect of fighters as good as the Five.

"The Axiom are composed of Hu, Liu, Soo, and Yu," Shifu continued. "Each fighter is just as competent as the next, so I expect you all to train to your full potential in preparation for the upcoming event! You are dismissed."

The Furious Five, Po, and Tai Lung all bowed to Shifu, and started off towards the training hall.

"Hosting this tournament will be like a blessing and a curse at the same time," Crane said as the warriors walked through the courtyard.

"Personally, I don't trust them," Mantis said suspiciously. "The guest dormitories are only a floor above our rooms. Who knows what those Axiom blockheads will try to pull?"

"What in the world happened that made you guys hate the Axiom so much?" Po asked.

Tai Lung had just been wondering the same thing.

"Our feud started several years ago, while we were on a mission for the emperor." Tigress began, in her storytelling voice. Pictures started to form in everybody's minds as Tigress began to retell that fateful day.

_The Furious Five had always been considered superior to the Axiom for as long as both groups had existed. So naturally, the assignment to protect the emperor's palace from an army of bandits fell upon the shoulders of the Furious Five. Master Shifu and Master Oowgay had gone away on a long training journey, so the Furious Five went on the mission alone. The Five fought the hundreds of bandits tooth and claw, (Monkey still had a scar from one of the bandits' knifes) until the last ten or so bandits had shot a rocket into the Royal City. As the Furious Five rushed to put the fires out, the Axiom had arrived and taken care of the few remaining bandits. The Axiom went with the Furious Five to report the success of the mission to the emperor, but instead of telling the true story, the Axiom took all the credit for defeating the bandits, and even accused the Five of shooting the rocket into the city as a call for assistance. What was worse, though, was that the Axiom's master, Zuihan, had shown up piss drunk (although he didn't look it), and agreed with everything his students said. The word of a master, who had every outward appearance of being sober, dwarfed the cries and complaints of outrage from the Furious Five. Humiliated and minimized, the Furious Five returned to the Jade Palace in shame._

"Dude, that is _so _not cool," Po said, already feeling aggrieved by the prospect of having the Axiom stay at the Jade Palace. "I hope Shifu gives them that room with all the spiders in it."

"I suppose it could have been worse," Tai Lung said, a bit quietly.

The Furious Five looked at him darkly.

"I only mean that it must have been vexing for the Axiom to constantly be in the shadow of the Furious Five," Tai Lung continued. "Isn't it only natural that they lashed out at you?" Tai Lung asked introspectively.

More dark looks.

Realizing that he was digging himself into a hole, Tai Lung decided to stay quiet until they had reached the training hall.

The Furious Five trained ferociously, spurred on by the idea that they would have a chance to prove themselves better than the Axiom in a few weeks' time.

Tai Lung, too, trained hard, excited by the anticipation of a new challange. As Tai Lung imagined fighting a never-ending slew of opponents, moving faster and faster, he began to feel something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He felt _powerful._

The small part of Tigress's mind that wasn't busy training thought about what Tai Lung had said earlier. She knew that Tai Lung saw his own dark past in the actions of the Axiom. And she knew that he needed to be guided in the right direction now more than ever. _The only thing I wish,_ Tigress thought as she neatly evaded a swinging club, _is that I knew how to help him._


	5. Love Me Do

One week until the San Xue Xiao tournament-

Everybody noticed it. Even Po noticed it. But Tigress, observant as she was, noticed it a bit sooner than everybody else.

A change had come over Tai Lung in the past two weeks. Ever since the Jade Palace's competition in the tournament was announced, Tai Lung had been training harder than ever. He could move with speed to match Viper, and he could muster the strength to obliterate the obstacle course in the training hall. He could match Crane in aerial combat any day of the week. But the one feat he never managed to achieve was to defeat Po.

Tai Lung stormed out of the courtyard in disgust, after loosing his third sparring match with Po that morning.

The Furious Five and Po watched him worriedly.

"Maybe you should go talk to him," Viper suggested to Tigress.

"Why me?" Tigress asked, a slight edge to her voice.

"Well, it just seems that you've been the one observing Tai Lung the closest lately, so…"

"I just don't want him going on another rampage, that's all," Tigress stated defensively, and set off after Tai Lung. As she followed the muddy paw prints (it had been raining that morning), Tigress began questioning her own motives.

_What I said wasn't a lie, _Tigress told herself. _I really _don't _want him going on another rampage. _But then again, who doesn't? _Is that really all there is to my observation? _Tigress asked herself.

At first, Tigress had been genuinely concerned about Tai Lung loosing control again. But as she watched him more and more, she had started to pay attention to the smaller things, like how his muscles rippled under the fur whenever they sparred, or just how charming his smile was…

_Really, Tigress…_ she chided herself for thinking such things. _But still... _the feeling was still there. The tiger master's train of thought was interrupted as she almost tripped over the leopard in question, who was kneeling on the floor just inside the Hall of Heroes.

"What?" asked Tai Lung flatly, obviously perturbed.

Tigress thought for a moment before answering,

"I want to know what's on your mind."

"No you don't," replied Tai Lung, not moving.

"Yes, I do," Tigress insisted, sitting down next to him.

Tai Lung remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"I feel transparent," Tai Lung said softly. "I can train as hard as I like, do anything I want to do, but I'm always plagued by the vague notion of a purpose unfulfilled."

Tai Lung turned and looked at Tigress before continuing, "Whenever I'm around the Furious Five, whenever I'm around _you_, I feel that I always need to be better. I want Shifu to want me. I want _you _to want me. But how can I measure up to anyone if I can't even beat that… that… panda?"

Tigress moved closer, nothing but understanding in her eyes.

"That," Tai Lung continued, "and I think I l-lo…" Tai Lung's voice trailed away as his and Tigress's lips moved closer and closer together.

Just then, the door began to open. Tigress was halfway across the room by the time Po walked in, slightly damp from the morning drizzle.

"Still not talking to each other, huh," Po said, noticing Tigress intently examining her claws.

Rising, Tai Lung glared at Po, and without a word, exited the Hall of Heroes.

"Was it something I said?" Po asked confusedly.

* * *

Training resumed as usual for the rest of the day, but anyone watching closely would notice that neither Tigress nor Tai Lung seemed quite as focused as before.


	6. Easy Tiger

_We were so close…_ The last week's events remained fresh in Tai Lung's mind. _If I had just puckered up a bit, like so…_ Tai Lung pursed his lips at his mirror.

"What _are_ you doing?" Monkey asked as he walked past Tai Lung's open door.

Embarrassed, Tai Lung spun around, blushing slightly.

"Ahem. Nothing," Tai Lung said sheepishly. _I'm not doing anything._ Tai Lung thought. _And there lies the source of my agony…_

"The other two schools will be arriving today for the tournament," Monkey said, ignoring Tai Lung's odd behavior. "Shifu told me to tell you to be ready for the introductions."

"Right," said Tai Lung distractedly, and followed Monkey out of the dormitories.

Ever since that day in the Hall of Heroes, Tigress had been keeping her distance from Tai Lung.

_I wonder what she thinks about me, _Tai Lung wondered vaguely as he followed Monkey to the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

The rest of the Five and Po were already waiting on the balcony when Tai Lung and Monkey arrived. They were all looking down into the courtyard, where Shifu was beginning his introduction.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace," he began in a booming voice. "Citizens from far and wide, who have traveled here from foreign lands! Welcome to the San Xue Xiao tournament of martial arts!"

The huge crowd erupted into cheers.

"The three competing schools in this tournament will be: the Jade Palace!"

Most of the pigs and geese in the crowd cheered wildly.

"The Lee Da Kung-Fu Academy!"

A large group of foreign rhinoceroses yelled their approval in their deep bass voices.

"And finally, the Tian Na Organization!"

The portion of the crowd that had traveled from the neighboring province all began a rhythmic chant of "Tian Na! Tian Na!"

"And now," Shifu continued, feeding off the energy of the crowd, "From the Jade Palace, I present to you: Crane! Monkey! Mantis! Viper! Tigress! The Furious Five!"

Each warrior leaped off the balcony as his or her name was called, and landed with a flourish in the courtyard below.

"The Dragon Warrior, Po!" Shifu continued.

"AAHHHHHHH!" Po screamed as he plummeted from the balcony and landed less-than-gracefully in the courtyard.

The crowd roared with laughter.

"And finally," Shifu bellowed, "A hero of the past, returned to glory, Tai Lung!"

Tai Lung at last leapt off the balcony and landed in the center of the courtyard.

When the cheering had died down, Shifu began the introductions of the other schools.

"From far across China, I present to you the six from the swamp! The students of the Lee Da Kung-Fu Academy!"

A procession of beings walked through the gates of the courtyard. An aged rhinoceros, presumably the master, led the group. Behind him followed five powerful-looking rhinos, and one very handsome panther. The rhinos in the crowd cheered raucously.

"Trained by Master Ros of the Lee Da Academy, I give you the Rough Rhinos!" Shifu yelled, and began introducing each of them by name.

"Jon! Georg! Kjartan! Orri! Rimur!" and, pointing to the panther, "Zankutetsuken!"

Each of the fighters took a bow as their name was called.

"And from the province to the south!" Shifu called across the crowd. "The Tian Na Organization!"

As four cheetahs and one very old, very sour-looking eagle entered the courtyard, Shifu continued his introduction.

"Trained by Master Zuihan, I present Hu! Liu! Soo! And Yu! The Axiom!"

The citizens from the southern province continued their chant.

"The tournament matches will begin tomorrow, at the toll of the noon bell! Come and witness the finest kung-fu in all of China!" With that, Shifu concluded the opening ceremony. Feeling rather hoarse, he returned to his office, giving the students time to mingle with each other.

"Shifu sure knows how to put on a show," Mantis was saying to Crane as they approached the students from Lee Da. Viper was discussing something with Monkey and looking suspiciously in the direction of the Axiom. Tai Lung, though, was watching jealously as the panther from Lee Da, Zankutetsuken, began talking to Tigress.

"Nice to meet you," Zankutetsuken was saying, approaching the tiger-style master. "I'm Zankutetsuken, but you can call me 'Z'."

_Get your filthy paws off of her,_ Tai Lung complained to himself as Z kissed the back of Tigress's hand.

_What are you doing, Tigress?!? Don't smile at that jerk!_ Tai Lung screamed in his head as Tigress cordially began to converse with Z.

"Easy, Tai," Po said, walking past the riled snow leopard.

Tai Lung just stood there seething until a sweet voice spoke to him from behind his back.

"Greetings, Tai Lung." It was Soo, the only female member of the Axiom.

"I have heard much about you," Soo continued, approaching the fuming feline.

"As I have you," Tai Lung countered, not looking directly at Soo.

Tai Lung thought he saw a glint in the cheetah's eyes as she said,

"As this is my first time being at the Jade Palace, I would be ever so grateful if one as obviously knowledgeable and experienced as yourself would show me around."

Soo took a step closer to Tai Lung.

Tai Lung wavered, remembering how conniving the Axiom had acted before.

Soo pressed herself against Tai Lung seductively, and purred,

"Please?"

Tai Lung decided that a quick tour couldn't hurt.

Tigress cast a dark look at Tai Lung as he walked past her, Soo clutching the snow leopard's muscular arm.

"What do you call a beautiful woman on the arm of a snow leopard?" Tigress asked Z.

"What?" replied Z, playing along.

"A tattoo."

Z thought that Tigress's joke was terribly clever, and kissed her hand again before he departed for the guest dormitories.

"I have very much enjoyed our conversation," Z said as he walked away. "Perhaps we could get to know each other better sometime." With that, the panther winked at Tigress, and turned towards the dormitory.

Shifu sat with the other two masters in his office, watching the whole exchange from his window. Turning to Master Ros and Master Zuihan (who was already helping himself to a bottle of Shifu's wine), he said,

"I think this tournament will prove to be very interesting indeed."


	7. Hu Are You?

The night of the opening ceremony-

The students from Lee Da and Tian Na had spent the majority of the afternoon acclimating themselves to the Jade Palace- they were shown their rooms (Yu actually _was_ given the room with all the spiders), and shown the locations of all the necessities- water, bathhouse, kitchen, etc.

After a light supper, courtesy of Po, Z announced that he and the rest of the Rough Rhinos were going into town, and invited anyone else to come with them. Naturally, Po, Monkey, Viper and Mantis, fun-lovers as they were, decided to go.

Crane was having a private dinner with Master Ros (Crane's old master) at a restaurant in the village, and Master Zuihan had taken Shifu out drinking, as a conciliatory gesture (Shifu, of course, never drank). That left Tai Lung, Tigress, and the Axiom alone, with the Jade Palace to themselves.

Tai Lung and Tigress had settled on the roof of the training hall, and were discussing the day.

A rather flustered Tai Lung was explaining how Soo had tried to convince him to sell her some of the Thousand Scrolls of Kung-Fu on their "tour," when the very cheetah in question appeared on the roof behind them.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," Tigress said coldly, turning around.

"Now, now," Soo patronized Tigress. "Put the claws away before somebody has a accident."

A growl rose in Tigress's throat.

"The reason I've come up here," Soo continued, "is that my comrade, Hu, wishes to speak to you."

"Then why didn't you just send _him_?" Tigress asked coolly.

"Because she just _couldn't _miss the look on your faces when I told you my piece."

The voice came from behind Tai Lung and Tigress, making them jump.

"Hello, Tai Lung," Hu said evenly, stepping towards him, and ignoring Tigress's threatening stance.

"First off, I would like to personally congratulate you for escaping Chor Ghom Prison."

Tai Lung stiffened at the mention of that abhorrent place.

"I myself had a major hand in its design, so I was quite surprised to find out that you had escaped. I've been waiting ever since to meet the one who could escape such a thorough defense."

"You mean to tell me that it was _you _who designed that hell hole?" Tai Lung began, his voice rising with each syllable. "Every day, _every torturous day_ in Chor Ghom, I _hated_ the one who kept me locked up in that frozen wasteland. No light, no fresh air, just those despicable rhinoceroses. You, as the designer of that…_ wretched_ place… you are no less guilty than _Vachir_!" Tai Lung spat out that last word as though it was a poison.

"Ah yes, Vachir," Hu said, purposely needling Tai Lung. "Poor, poor, Vachir. I was quite fond of him myself. It was simply _crushing_ news to find out that he had died. Slaughtered, actually. By none other than the one standing right in front of me…"

"Hu," Tai Lung interrupted, suddenly very quiet. "You seem like the analytical type. So tell me, am I right or left-handed? I'll give you a hint."

CRUNCH

Tai Lung smashed his fist (the left one) into the jaw of Hu, who reeled backwards and almost tripped off the roof.

"You may have escaped from Vachir," Hu said bitterly, his speech almost indeterminable and blood flowing freely from his mouth, "But you will _never_ escape from _me._"

Soo rushed forward and caught Hu as he fell unconscious.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," the female cheetah said to Tai Lung as she carried her companion's limp form off the roof.

"I am!" Tai Lung shouted. "That felt great!"

The troubled snow leopard had turned a whiter shade of pale now, and promptly excused himself from Tigress.

Tai Lung tried to sleep, but only nightmares came to him.

_He was back in Chor Ghom. As usual, Vachir was "playing" with him, stomping on his tail and kicking his face. Tai Lung looked up from his misery and growled, "Vachir," but instead of the sadistic rhinoceros staring down at him, he found himself looking into the cold, merciless eyes of Hu. Surprised, Tai Lung was powerless to stop the never-ending punishment from the cheetah…_

The others had not returned yet, so it was still only Tigress and Tai Lung in the student dormitories. Tigress had been preparing to go to bed herself when she heard whimpering from Tai Lung's room. Concerned, she walked into the restless leopard's room to find him tossing and turning in his sleep.

_"I'll get you for this, Hu," Tai Lung said weakly as he received another kick to the face. Suddenly, though, the barrage stopped. Relieved, Tai Lung looked up. His insides froze at what he saw. Above him stood Hu, in all his cold malice, holding a vicious-looking knife to Tigress's throat. Tai Lung tried to scream in protest but no sound came out. He could not look away as Hu tore through Tigress's flesh. Her screams of anguish sent shivers down his spine. "Tigress!" he yelled. "Tigress!"_

"TIGRESS!!" Tai Lung sat bolt upright on his bedroll, drenched in sweat. He sprung up frantically, only to see Tigress sitting beside him.

"Oh Tigress," Tai Lung said, collapsing against her and sobbing into her shoulder.

Taken aback, Tigress sat with Tai Lung until he had calmed down.

Once Tai Lung had regained his composure, Tigress said softly,

"I want to know what's on your mind."

Tai Lung gazed into Tigress's deep eyes for a long time, perhaps even several sunless weeks.

"No you don't."

"Yes," she whispered, and embraced Tai Lung tenderly. "Yes, I do."


	8. Tomorrow Never Knows

The first rays of the morning sun peeked gloriously from behind the clouds, casting pools of gold across the Valley of Peace. The Jade Palace was the picture of quiet majesty. Or, it would have been, had Shifu's loud commands not rung across the grounds for several hours now.

"Yes, I need the village medical staff here at noon, _sharp!_ No, I specifically said I did _not _want that weapons rack moved to the courtyard! Zeng! Where is my tea?"

The overworked, overtired, and overexcited Shifu sat down, resting his head in the palms of his hands.

"Good grief," he said, exasperated. "Why can't anyone seem to get anything right this morning?"

"I assure you, Master," the timid voice of a palace goose said, "for everything that goes wrong, ten things go right. At this rate, we should be completely ready…"

"SILENCE!" Shifu shouted angrily. "I don't care about your ridiculous statistics! Just go wake up my students! Perhaps _they_ can get something done!"

"Yes, Master Shifu," the goose said, bowing, and scurried off to the student dormitories.

Shifu stood up and regarded the whirlwind of preparations going on around him.

_Why oh why did I ever agree to host this tournament…_ Shifu thought miserably, his headache beginning to return. _Of course, the other schools just _**couldn't**_ be bothered to help out,_ he continued to himself indignantly.

Sighing, the aged kung-fu master returned to his logistics.

"_Zeng! __**Where is my tea?"**_

* * *

Instead of being awoken by the deep tone of the morning bell, the students of the Jade Palace were jolted from their sleep by the squeaky voice of a palace goose.

"Master warriors, _please_ wake up! Master Shifu needs your help with the preparations for the beginning of the tournament today!"

"Hell's bells…" Mantis complained, stumbling out of his room. "What time is it?"

Slowly, the rest of the warriors began to appear in the hallway. Po started off towards the kitchen, wondering aloud why he had to get up so early.

Viper cast a curious glance backwards as she noticed Tigress walk sleepily out of Tai Lung's room, the snow leopard not far behind. Smiling inwardly, the serpent followed the rest of the warriors towards the kitchen.

Once everybody had been revived by a short breakfast, they set out for the palace grounds, to see what Shifu needed.

Before Viper left, though, she stopped Tai Lung and Tigress and pulled them back into the otherwise empty kitchen.

"So what exactly were _you_ doing sleeping in _his _room?" Viper asked Tigress, pointing at Tai Lung.

"I just fell asleep in there while we were… talking last night," Tigress assured Viper. It was the truth.

"Hmm…" said Viper, narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion. Deciding to drop the subject for now, Viper turned and slithered after the rest of the warriors.

* * *

The pale morning sunlight cast long shadows across the ground as the Furious Five, Po, and Tai Lung ran from place to place satisfying Shifu's long list of preparations. By midmorning the list had been completed, well ahead of schedule.

"Well done, well, done," Shifu said as he inspected the work of his now bleary-eyed students. Luckily, none of the Jade Palace students had any tournament matches today.

* * *

Noon-

"Welcome, spectators," Shifu's voice called over the crowd assembled around the courtyard of the Jade Palace. "The first day of the San Xue Xiao begins _now!"_

A gong rang, signifying the start of the tournament. The crowd cheered raucously.

The first match was between Yu and Rimur.

The fight had been pretty even until a masked spectator (with a spotted tail) had "accidentally" dropped a bucket on Rimur's head. Yu had no trouble finishing off the dazed rhino.

The second match was between Soo and Z.

Z was holding his own until a rope mysteriously appeared at his ankles, tripping him. In no time at all, Soo was all over the poor panther.

The final match of the day was between Liu and Georg.

By the time Georg fell to Liu (after a bottle rocket whizzed past the rhino's ear, distracting him), the Rough Rhinos were swearing in frustration.

The Furious Five were very suspicious.

The crowd was deafening.

And amid all the fighting and shouting and cheering and jeering, no one noticed that Hu was not there.

* * *

The cheetah in question was isolated in his room, his brilliant, twisted mind hard at work.

_Tai Lung, _Hu thought contemptuously, gingerly touching his broken jaw. _You will soon be mine again._

* * *

Evening-

The Rough Rhinos had eaten dinner quickly and went to bed, ashamed of their three consecutive losses to the Axiom.

The Furious Five, on the other hand, were all very much awake, and talking restlessly amongst themselves.

"Those slippery cheetahs," Po said, recalling how an "unfortunate" event seemed to happen to each Rough Rhino just as they gained an advantage.

"It's just like them, too," Viper said disdainfully, "They cheat in the sneakiest way, and then act all innocent about it."

"It's despicable, really," Mantis added, disgusted.

"We just have to make sure we don't fall prey to any of their slimy tricks," Crane said, calmer than the rest of them.

The warriors talked on and on, working up the indignation over the Axiom and their dishonest ways.

During this time, neither Tigress nor Tai Lung said much. Actually, neither of them had said much the entire day, certainly not to each other.

"I'm going out," Tigress stated after a time. "For some fresh air."

Tai Lung was tempted to follow her, but something in the timbre of her voice compelled him to let her go.

* * *

Tigress sat under the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, lost in her thoughts about the previous days.

_Am l in love with Tai Lung?_ Tigress asked herself. This was the first time she had ever felt this way about him. _All those years he was in Chor Ghom…_ Tigress reminisced, _I never gave him a thought. He was evil, and that was that. But the way I felt with him last night… That was definitely not a moment's insanity._ What would Shifu say? The stern master's words echoed through Tigress's mind-

_"Love is a beautiful and irresistible enslavement. It is one of the most powerful emotions in the world, and it can cloud one's vision. Do not underestimate the danger of excessive love, Tigress."_

Tigress sat for well over an hour, wrapped up in the gossamer demesnes of her mind

"Why does it all have to be so complicated?" Tigress said aloud after mulling her situation over for the thirty-second time.

"It doesn't have to be," said a disquieting voice from behind Tigress.

Turning around quickly, Tigress found herself face to face with none other than Hu.

"I know how you feel," Hu said, his jaw obviously straining to form the words. "Love can be such a complicated being. But it doesn't have to be."

Tigress had stood up now, and was cautiously regarding the cheetah.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean, my dear Tigress, is that what you are experiencing can easily be described as such; What you feel doesn't agree with what you think."

Tigress didn't move as Hu began to circle her slowly.

"How does this make things any easier to understand?" she asked, thoroughly confused by the cunning cheetah.

"That is my point exactly," Hu stated, stopping his pacing. "You hold two contradictory opinions at once; how can both be correct?"

Tigress stiffened.

"Now, I am quite aware that by nature, we are all more apt to trust our instincts," Hu continued, looking over the moonlit hill, "But let's think. Is Tai Lung the kind of person you can judge by 'feelings?' I'm sure that Shifu 'felt' more than confident that Tai Lung would never betray him. I'm sure that that Vachir 'felt' that Tai Lung would never escape him."

Hu's voice had become hauntingly dark. "I certainly 'felt' that Tai Lung could never hurt me in the way he did."

Tigress immediately thought of Hu's broken jaw.

"Not my jaw, you silly girl," Hu said chillingly, as though he had read Tigress's mind. "What I speak of would be beyond your comprehension. But I'll tell you this much. What Tai Lung did to me turned me into what I am today. There is nothing that manifests itself in me more than my undying hatred for Tai Lung."

"Tai Lung didn't even know you before this tournament," Tigress objected, very confused.

"That is my point exactly," Hu said in a dangerously soft voice. "Tai Lung," Hu began, looking directly into Tigress's eyes, "is my brother."

"I don't believe you," Tigress said, looking away.

"You don't have to," Hu shot back. "But just to make my revelation a bit more believable, let me give you the story."

Tigress remained silent and looked at Hu expectantly.

"I used to live in the Valley of Peace," Hu began. "My family was poor, so when Tai Lung was born, I knew he wouldn't last long. Our parents knew, too. I was still a cub then, but it was me who bundled Tai Lung up in my only blanket, and left him on the doorstep of the Jade Palace. Our parents knew about this as well, and they didn't try to stop me. Things were rather uneventful after that, until Tai Lung began to flourish under Shifu. I knew I could never live in the shadow of my unwitting brother- that's when I traveled south to train at the Tian Na Organization."

Hu paused for a long moment.

When he spoke again, his voice was pitch-black. "I saved that pathetic beast's life! And what were my thanks? His rampage. My parents… _our_ parents were slaughtered by Tai Lung's blind rage. It was the least I could do to place him in my god-forsaken prison, to let him rot for eternity. But now, Tai Lung walks free, without a single burden upon his black heart."

Tigress stayed silent for a long, long time.

"You are at another impasse with yourself," Hu stated analytically. "You are certain you don't want to believe me, yet deep down, you do."

Without another word, Hu turned around and disappeared into the night.

Tigress fell to her knees, and sat for another hour, her earlier dilemma a mere speck in comparison to this new woe.

Above Tigress, concealed in the leaves of the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, sat three cheetahs. Liu, Soo, and Yu silently admired their comrade's riveting performance; Hu's entire story was, of course, a lie.

"Excellent," Soo whispered to Yu. "She will not sleep tonight."

"Just the edge we need to defeat her," Liu breathed, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Tigress did _not_ sleep that night. Instead, she lay on her bedroll uneasily, lost to dark thoughts, and ensnared in the false world created by Hu.


	9. Communication Breakdown

The resounding chime of the morning bell carried over the Valley of Peace.

A mellow sunlight filtered through the dormitory windows at the Jade Palace. The students of the Jade Palace awoke at once (a certain tiger had already been so for many hours), and, as they had done the morning before, proceeded down the modest hallway into the kitchen.

Tantalizing smells began to fill the air as Po commenced his preparation of breakfast.

Tigress was, as usual, the last one to sit down at the table; however, everybody noticed that she was clearly not herself today.

The habitually attentive Tigress was slumped in her chair, her countenance the picture of exhaustion.

Tai Lung, who was sitting at the other end of the table, was becoming quite uncomfortable. From the moment Tigress sat down, she hadn't taken her eyes off the snow leopard. And not in the good way, either.

Tai Lung was just about to ask the languid tiger what was bothering her when Po began talking about his dream last night in a rather loud voice. Apparently it had been about kung-fu, dragons, and noodles.

"I wonder what my dad would think if he knew I had the 'Noodle Dream' now," Po was saying lightheartedly.

"I really _do_ wish that you would keep your bizarre culinary fantasies to yourself," Tigress said angrily.

Po looked over at the fatigued feline, slightly stung.

"Something tells me it's _that_ time of the month again," Mantis whispered to Monkey.

Monkey was about to agree when Tigress shifted her leer to the simian, making him fidget.

"All discussion of my female curse aside," Tigress began in a leaden voice, "I'll have you know that I am quite unimpaired today." _Physically, at least._ "I'm just… nervous about today's matches," she lied, looking down at her untouched soup.

"This is the first time I've seen you nervous about anything in a _long_ time," Viper said, looking up from her own bowl.

"Well, this is the first time I've fought a _formidable_ opponent in a _long_ time," Tigress spat back insultingly. "Now if you don't mind, I'd rather like to be left alone," she hissed, and stormed out of the kitchen.

The Furious Five stared after her silently, stunned. Suddenly there was the loud crack of splintering wood.

"Master Shifu should really get those rotting floorboards fixed," Crane said, leaving the kitchen to prepare for the day.

When Crane stepped into the hall, though, every floorboard was perfectly intact. The wall, however, was not. A fresh paw-shaped hole had joined the scarce adornments of the student dormitories.

Noon-

"The second day of the San Xue Xiao begins _now!"_

The first match was between Tigress and Hu.

Tigress never had a chance.

* * *

The thwarted tiger spent the evening in her room, sore all over from her humiliating defeat that afternoon.

A quiet knock at the door came at just around midnight.

Tigress pretended to be asleep.

"I know you're not asleep," Tai Lung said softly, opening the door. "Can I come in?"

Tigress simply turned away, but Tai Lung took the fact that she hadn't thrown anything at him as a yes.

"What's going on?" Tai Lung asked, sitting down next to Tigress's bedroll.

More silence.

"Look Tigress," Tai Lung persisted, "you can talk to me. I won't betray anything you say."

"How can I trust that?" Tigress said finally. "After all, you've betrayed people before."

Tai Lung shifted uncomfortably.

"I know I have made many mistakes," Tai Lung said dutifully. "I built my life around mistake after selfish mistake. I let my lust for greatness blind me. But I don't want that anymore. I really _do_ want to be a good person." _For you, _Tai Lung finished to himself.

"I want to believe you," Tigress said, almost wistfully. "But I just can't bear the uncertainty!"

"What uncertainty?" Tai Lung asked, baffled. "Do you think power means anything to me anymore? Do you think I give a damn about who wins or who looses this ridiculous tournament? The only reason I'm here is because…" Tai Lung paused awkwardly. _Just say it,_ he thought furiously to himself. _I love you, Tigress! Just say it! _"Because I need a sense of purpose."

Tigress contemplated Tai Lung's cryptic assurance before saying,

"I don't know who to believe anymore… You, Hu, anyone!"

"_What_ are you talking about?" Tai Lung asked, genuinely bewildered.

"Hu told me some things…" Tigress began weakly.

"Since when do _you _believe _anything_ Hu says?" Tai Lung interrupted, his voice rising to a considerable volume.

"Since he taught me to think," Tigress riposted, and turned away. "I'm tired. Good night, Tai Lung."

Tai Lung slowly retreated from Tigress's room, shaken.

Tigress shut the door as soon as he had gone.

_What the hell was _that_ all about? _Tai Lung thought as he returned quietly to his dark room, troubled.

Neither of the felines slept well that night.

The next day-

Master Shifu greeted his students at the toll of the morning bell, for the first time since the tournament had begun.

"Students," Shifu said in his gruff voice, "As per regulations, there will be no tournament matches today; it is your 'day of respite.' Or so it is called," Shifu finished, smirking slightly. "I expect your training to be resumed in full, especially after such an… unfavorable performance yesterday."

Tigress looked at her feet.

The rest of the warriors bowed to Shifu and set off towards the training hall.

"I was just getting used to having breakfast first," Mantis complained, earning himself a chiding look from Shifu.

The timeworn training hall was loud with the sounds of combat as the students of the Jade Palace put themselves through their paces. Viper's sharp movements were the definition of precise, and Monkey's staff whirled around with blinding speed and deadly accuracy. Po and Crane were locked in fierce combat, both of them pulling out every technique they knew in attempt to gain an advantage. Mantis made the obstacle course appear to be a child's toy. And Tai Lung could have done it all with one hand tied behind his back.

Tigress was working, too, but anyone who knew her would notice how sloppy her movements were. Her form was imprecise, her techniques choppy.

The students finally stopped to break for breakfast (it was more of a brunch by this time). They slowly filed out of the training hall, panting from their exertions.

Shifu shut the door just before Tigress left. He cornered her against the wall, waiting for an explanation.

Tigress just stared back at him.

"_What_ is the matter with you?" Shifu asked impatiently. "First you loose to that pathetic excuse for a warrior yesterday, now you won't even train properly!"

"I'm deeply sorry, master."

"For _what?_ There's obviously something bothering you."

"It's nothing."

"It is clearly _something_, otherwise you wouldn't be acting this way. I think you need some time off," Shifu suggested, backing up a little.

"But Master, my training…"

"Is obviously getting you nowhere at present," Shifu finished for her. "As your master, I insist that you take a leave for a couple of days. Think of it as a vacation. And do make sure that you've sorted yourself out by the time you get back."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Tai Lung couldn't stop thinking about the exchange he had with Tigress last night.

_What in the world could Hu have said to shake her up so much?_ He asked himself.

Once Tai Lung had finished breakfast, he decided to do some investigation. The snow leopard climbed the rickety staircase to the guest dormitory.

_Jeez_, he thought, stepping inside, _This place is kinda creepy. _

Hung all along the deep red walls were strange paintings. The corridor was dark, despite the window at the end, and there was an ever-present feeling of dankness no matter where the snow leopard stood.

_I guess there's a reason Shifu never has many guests, _Tai Lung thought to himself.

He hung around the guest dormitory until the very cheetah he was looking for walked out of his room, obviously having just woken up.

"Hu," Tai Lung started assertively, "come here. I need to talk to you."

"Make me," was the abrasive cheetah's reply.

Quicker than lightning, Tai Lung had Hu pinned to the wall by the throat.

"Okay, okay," Hu said, realizing that he was in danger. "Let's talk."

"What did you do to Tigress?" Tai Lung asked, growling. "Ever since yesterday, she hasn't been herself."

"I just told her a little bedtime story," Hu said innocently, squirming in Tai Lung's rock-solid grip.

"What kind of bedtime story?" Tai Lung asked, unwavering.

"The kind that you stay up _all night_ thinking about."

"Something you said to Tigress really upset her! What was it?"

"Do you want a story to send you off to bed too?" Hu asked, his voice dripping with mock tenderness.

"Tell me everything."

Hu reluctantly retold his story to Tai Lung (who had to be reminded several times throughout to loosen his grip so the cheetah could breathe).

"You did _all this_ just to win your fight?" Tai Lung asked incredulously.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Of all the slimy, despicable things to do…"

"I really didn't think that it would upset her so," Hu said, not apologetic in the least. "It seems that little Tigress was thinking about you more than I expected."

_I've got to tell her the truth, _Tai Lung thought frantically. _How I feel!_

Tai Lung released the cheetah and raced off to the student dormitory. Rounding the corner to Tigress's room, the frenzied feline was surprised to find the door ajar. The room in question was vacant. Curious, Tai Lung walked across the threshold. Upon closer inspection of the tidy bedroom, Tai Lung found a note on Tigress's pillow. It read:

_To whom it may concern: _

_I have gone on a trip to the seaside to straighten myself out. I will return in several days._

_Tigress._

Tai Lung read the note again in disbelief. _Of all the times to take a vacation, _he thought. _I have to catch her. I _need_ to find out how she really feels about me!_

Clutching the letter, Tai Lung threw together the few items in his possession, and in a fit of passion, took off towards the village.


	10. The Seeker

It was several hours after dawn when Tai Lung reached the town to the east of the Valley of Peace. He had traveled through the night in his pursuit of Tigress, and was determined to find her.

_She must have spent the night here,_ Tai Lung thought.

The town was a two-hour walk from the seaside. Although it was early, the streets were already becoming busy with routine traffic.

Yawning, Tai Lung started down the unfamiliar road, searching scrupulously for his quarry.

As it turns out, Tigress _had_ spent the night in the town. She was mildly surprised to find herself in an inn room when she woke up, but promptly remembered what she was doing.

_To the seaside, I suppose,_ Tigress thought halfheartedly, and began to get dressed.

By now, Tai Lung had scoured the town twice, and hadn't seen Tigress once.

_She must have left already, _Tai Lung concluded, and departed down the road to the seaside intrepidly.

As Tigress walked out of the inn, feeling slightly better than the day before, she caught a glimpse of a snow leopard walking quickly down the street before he disappeared behind a long line of vegetable carts.

_Tai Lung?_ she thought, surprised. _No, it must have been someone else,_ Tigress convinced herself. _What in the world would Tai Lung be doing all the way out here?_

Satisfied that she simply had too much on her mind, Tigress walked across the street to have breakfast at a nearby café. By the time the thoughtful tiger had finished her meal, Tai Lung was a good half-hour ahead of her on the road. Of course, Tigress did not know this, and set off casually towards the sea.

Back at the Jade Palace-

Things had devolved into a rather chaotic state. Nobody was particularly concerned when Tai Lung didn't show up for evening training the previous day. Everybody had been slightly curious when he wasn't at dinner. And now that he was clearly absent from the Jade Palace in the morning, people were getting seriously worried.

"Where on earth could he have gone?" Po was asking Viper as they searched the palace grounds again for the missing snow leopard.

"Why he would leave at a time like this is more the question," Viper responded, checking the training hall for the third time that morning.

"Anything yet?" This was Shifu. His eyes scanned his surroundings carefully, searching painstakingly for some evidence as to where his prodigal son had disappeared.

Monkey returned from the village just then, breathing heavily from the long climb up the stairs.

"Well?" the three assembled warriors asked at the same time.

"A villager said that Tai Lung was heading east out of town, yesterday afternoon," Monkey said, struggling to catch his breath.

Every corner of Shifu's mind began to analyze this new development.

_Yesterday afternoon, _he thought, _probably several hours after Tigress left. East, in the direction of… the seaside._ Suddenly things began to make sense to Shifu. He had realized long before that Tai Lung was falling in love with Tigress. He just wished that it hadn't happened during the biggest kung-fu tournament of the year.

"There is no need to worry, students," Shifu said calmly after a time. "I am certain that Tai Lung will return in a few short days."

"But with Tigress on vacation and Tai Lung… missing…" Viper began, "what will we do about the tournament?"

"We will simply have to make due with what we have," Shifu said, and then turned to Po. "Po, you are Tai Lung's substitute for the first match against Z. Be prepared to win by noon."

Shifu turned and walked quickly back to his office.

"Wait a minute, me?" Po asked nervously, and glanced at the big scoreboard erected in the courtyard.

_Jade Palace 2_

_Tian Na 4_

_Lee Da 0_

"You better win," Viper said teasingly as her and Monkey started back across the sunlit palace grounds towards the dormitories.

* * *

Afternoon found Tai Lung meandering around the seaside town. He had still not seen Tigress yet, and was becoming hotter under the collar to find her.

_I should start by finding out where she's staying,_ Tai Lung realized. _This looks like a good place to start, _he thought, walking into the _Saikou Inn._

"Excuse me," Tai Lung asked the concierge, "is there anyone by the name of Tigress staying here?"

"Tigress?" the small female fox repeated, checking a list. "Sorry. Not here."

Undeterred, Tai Lung left the inn and started off towards the next inn on the street.

The persistent snow leopard rounded the corner just as Tigress walked into the _Saikou Inn._

"May I help you?" The concierge asked.

"Yes, I'd like a room for the night."

After Tigress had deposited her frugal luggage in her room, she set off to take a walk on the beach.

* * *

Tai Lung had asked every inn in the town about Tigress, yet none of them had her on the guest list. Frustrated, Tai Lung decided to walk down to the beach, and rethink his plan.

_So much for finding out where she's staying,_ Tai Lung thought dejectedly.

Meanwhile, Tigress was quite enjoying the beautiful weather by the seaside. She walked past several couples, and a young rabbit digging a rather large hole in the sand.

_It's so peaceful here, _Tigress thought as the gentle waves continuously buffeted the white sand of the beach. _It almost feels sinful, _Tigress remarked to herself, _enjoying myself here while the others are hard at work back at the Jade Palace._

The others. Tigress, as solitary as she could be sometimes, _did_ miss her companions. Thinking of the others reminded Tigress of Tai Lung. And thinking of Tai Lung made her feel even lonelier. Lost in her own thoughts, Tigress continued her walk.

_It was a stupid idea in the first place, _Tai Lung berated himself. _Trying to catch her while she was traveling… I don't have a chance in he… hey!_ Tai Lung had looked up to see Tigress's lithe form walking along the beach ahead of him.

"Tigress!" he called, running toward her.

Tigress spun around at the sound of her name being called, only to see Tai Lung running jubilantly toward her. Tigress started forward to meet him, but suddenly, Tai Lung was gone.

_I really _must_ be going crazy if I'm having hallucinations of Tai Lung, _Tigress thought to herself. She turned back around and continued down the beach.

Several yards behind her, though, Tai Lung lay crumpled at the bottom of a large hole in the sand.

"Mommy," the little rabbit was saying, "That big guy fell into my hole."

By the time Tai Lung managed to extract himself from the sandy abyss, Tigress was nowhere to be seen.

Nightfall-

Tai Lung, battered and exhausted, returned to the _Saikou Inn_ in hopes of getting some rest.

"Oh, it's you again," the concierge stated as Tai Lung walked in the door. "What happened to you?" she asked, noticing Tai Lung's matted fur.

"Oh, only everything. Just get me a room."

Just then the concierge remembered something. "About what you asked earlier…" she began.

"Yes, I know, it was stupid," Tai Lung interrupted, not really in the mood to listen to anyone right now.

"A-actually…" the concierge persisted, but Tai Lung's leer of annoyance made her voice trail away.

The fox led Tai Lung up a flight of stairs and handed him a key.

"That's your room there," she said, pointing at a door at the end of the hall.

Tai Lung murmured his thanks as the concierge returned to the foyer. The spent snow leopard walked to the end of the hall and opened the door to his room. Walking inside, Tai Lung fell into the bed, relieved to be off his feet.

_Tomorrow, _he reassured himself. _Tomorrow I'll find her._

In the room next door, Tigress was deep in thought. All day she hadn't stopped thinking about Tai Lung.

_Does he love me? _she asked herself.

_Even if he does, does that make him any better a person? I don't want to believe what Hu says- Tai Lung seems different now. But what if Hu is right? What if this whole thing is just a lie, orchestrated to benefit Tai Lung in the end? _

The truth, Tigress realized, was that she was _afraid_ to love Tai Lung.

_Oh Tai Lung,_ Tigress thought as she began to fall to the unconquerable power of sleep, _Give me just one reason to believe in you, and I'd fall in love._


	11. I Know That You Know

Morning crept quietly over the peaceful seaside town.

Tigress rose early, feeling refreshed, yet still not entirely satisfied. She absent-mindedly got dressed and went into town for breakfast.

Tigress sat at a quaint sidewalk café, sipping a cup of tea daintily. The resplendent morning sunlight washed over her, the cool air blew gently across her fur. To any passerby, she was the picture of perfection. But Tigress felt empty, as though a piece of her had been left behind at the Jade Palace.

_With Tai Lung, perhaps, _Tigress thought momentarily, and then scolded herself for being so swift to think of the stately snow leopard. _It's true, though,_ Tigress realized, taking another sip of tea. She began to wonder if she actually felt any better for coming on this trip.

Tai Lung slept in late that morning, exhausted from his previous day's toil. When he finally awoke, it was well past noon. Grunting sleepily, Tai Lung rolled out of his bed- and landed with a thud on the hard wooden floor. He felt very stiff, and his ankles still throbbed from falling into that damn hole yesterday.

Awake, and rather put out now, Tai Lung sauntered lackadaisically out of his room, until he remembered what he was here for.

_I've _got_ to find Tigress today, _Tai Lung told himself.

Inspired by the notion of recovering his feline companion, the stiff-necked snow leopard scurried out of the inn, and began the second day of his scrupulous search.

As Tai Lung walked hastily down the busy street, he heard his stomach rumble with hunger.

_Not important right now, _Tai Lung thought, forcing himself to walk past a street vendor. His stomach growled again in protest.

_I suppose I could spare a couple of minutes, _Tai Lung decided reluctantly, walking down a wide alley lined with small cafés.

Tigress, meanwhile, was back on the balcony of her inn room, feeling lonely.

_I can't just sit here all afternoon, _Tigress tried to tell herself. _I should go do something._

But, despite her best efforts, nothing Tigress told herself could get her to move from the balcony.

* * *

As the sun began to fall below the horizon, Tigress forced herself to get up. She returned down the steps to the foyer of the inn.

"What _is_ there to do around here?" she asked the concierge, feeling rather agitated.

"If you need some relaxation," the fox said, "you should try the Mousho Hot Spring, just behind this inn. It's the off season right now, so I doubt anyone will be there."

_I guess I've got nothing better to do, _Tigress thought. She walked around the building and promptly found the entrance to the hot spring. Inside the women's dressing room, she removed her magenta tunic and slate trousers, and, wrapping herself in a towel, stepped out into the hot spring.

_It's quite a bit more… coed than I expected, _Tigress thought immediately, realizing that the men's and women's sides were separated by nothing more than… well, nothing, really. A few natural rocks provided a distinguishing line between the two sides, but that was it.

_I suppose since there's no one here…_ Tigress thought self consciously, removing her towel and stepping into the hot water.

As it turns out though, Tai Lung, frustrated by another day of fruitless searching, was sitting just behind one of the rocks on the men's side, trying his best to relax.

_I can't believe it, _he thought remorsefully to himself. _At least I _saw_ her yesterday, but today, nothing… Just how she probably feels about me… nothing…_

Tai Lung began to doze off. _The heat must be getting to me, _he thought, rousing himself. _I better get out._

The subdued snow leopard began to make his way back towards the edge of the spring, holding on to the rock for support. His paw fell into the water as he tried to grip a rock that wasn't there.

Tigress heard the small splash behind her.

_Don't tell me there's someone else in here,_ she thought, mortified. She turned around and found herself looking straight at Tai Lung.

Tai Lung felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up as he saw the statuesque form of Tigress in front of him (I bet that's not all he felt stand up).

Tai Lung had found what he was looking for. Tigress had stumbled upon her missing piece. They were looking at each other, yet neither of them knew quite what to do. So both of them quickly turned away from each other, feeling a bit hot, but not because of the water.

"Tai Lung," Tigress began awkwardly, "what are you doing here?"

No answer.

Tigress turned around to see Tai Lung sinking into the water.

After several seconds, he hadn't come up again. Worried, Tigress reached into the water and pulled up Tai Lung's unconscious form.

_He must have fainted from the heat, _she thought. _But now what am I supposed to do with him?_

Looking pointedly at Tai Lung's face, Tigress pulled him out of the water and laid him on the ground. She dressed and returned several seconds later with the concierge from the inn with her.

Together, they brought Tai Lung back upstairs, and laid him on Tigress's bed. Tigress thanked the fox as she closed the door behind her.

Just then, Tigress realized the flaw in her logic. Tai Lung was in her room, and so was she. And they were in the middle of nowhere. Alone. And then Tai Lung woke up.

_Of course it was just a dream, _he thought to himself. _No way I'd be _that _lucky._

Tai Lung then realized that he wasn't in his room.

Looking quickly around, he noticed Tigress sitting next to him.

"Uhhh," he began, feeling quite embarrassed, "sorry to have troubled you, I'll just be going now…" and started quickly towards the door.

"Tai Lung," Tigress said, stopping him in his tracks. "Won't you at least have a cup of tea?"

Tai Lung sat on the balcony as Tigress brewed two cups of tea. Handing one cup to him, she sat on the balcony beside him.

"So what are you doing all the way out here?" Tigress asked, not daring to hope for the answer she wanted.

_Just say it, _Tai Lung screamed to himself. _I came after you! I want to know how you feel about me! Just say it!_ "I, uh, I'm on a mission." _Coward. _

"What kind of mission?" Tigress asked, not looking directly at Tai Lung.

"A reconnaissance mission."

Tigress and Tai Lung looked each other in the eyes.

Tai Lung knew that Tigress understood.

And Tigress felt the void inside of her quickly being filled.

As an evening breeze swirled around the two felines, they felt a new bond growing between them, though neither of them had the nerve to admit it.

Tai Lung loved Tigress. And Tigress loved him back.

They looked at each other tenderly; their bodies moved closer together.

And then suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Urgent delivery for Master Tigress," a squeaky voice called.

Tearing her eyes away from Tai Lung, Tigress turned back into the room and opened the door.

The palace goose, Zeng, stumbled in, and handed Tigress a small roll of parchment.

Unrolling it, Tigress read aloud:

"_Dear Tigress,_

_Please return home soon. We haven't got a chance in the tournament without you and Tai Lung._

_Master Shifu"_

Tai Lung shifted nervously. He had completely forgotten to tell Shifu that he was leaving. Now he couldn't decide whether it was worse for him to have forgotten such a thing, or that Shifu had known exactly where he went.

"Doesn't miss a trick, does he," Tigress said wondrously.

"I suppose that means we best be getting back," Tai Lung said, walking towards the door. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Tigress watched him go, a bit regretfully.

That night, Tai Lung woke up drenched in sweat again. The nightmares no longer plagued him, though. This time it was for a _very_ different reason indeed.


	12. Into The Valley

Tigress and Tai Lung had left the seaside early. By midmorning, they had reached the town to the east of the Valley of Peace.

"If we keep this pace up," Tai Lung said happily, "we should be back in the Valley before dinner!"

The two felines set off at a brisk walk towards the Valley of Peace.

Back at the Jade Palace-

Four cheetahs sat huddled together in a dark room of the guest dormitory.

"If Tai Lung and Tigress return in top form," Liu was saying, "then we don't have a prayer of beating them."

"This could cost us the tournament," Soo said bleakly.

"I think the solution is clear," Hu said.

Soo, Liu, and Yu turned to face him.

"We must not let them return to the Valley of Peace."

* * *

Tai Lung and Tigress were less than a mile away from the Valley of Peace, and getting closer with every step.

_Almost home,_ Tigress thought, thrilled. _I've been gone for too long._

There then came a rather loud rustle from the trees to either side of the dirt path.

Tigress and Tai Lung looked around, startled.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Axiom jumped out of the thick foliage and landed in a circle around the two Jade Palace students.

Tai Lung growled menacingly.

Tigress took a subtle fighting stance, ready for anything.

Hu spoke first.

"Greetings. Although it's touching to see you two together again, I'm afraid we cannot allow you to pass."

"Step aside, Hu," Tai Lung said threateningly.

There was a long, tense pause as both parties regarded each other.

"Make me."

With that, the cheetahs began to close in on their targets.

Tigress quickly looked at Tai Lung, silently exchanging instructions with him.

In perfect unison, the tiger and the snow leopard lunged in opposite directions, each taking on two cheetahs.

Tai Lung immediately tried to strike Liu's nerve points, but the cheetah was fast to react. Liu leaped into the air and extended his leg into a kick as he fell from the sky.

Stepping to the side and blocking several punches from Yu, Tai Lung glanced over at Tigress.

The tiger in question was holding up fine against Hu and Soo.

Grabbing one of Soo's punches, Tigress swung her around so that she created a barrier between Hu and herself.

Dauntless, Hu flipped over Soo and landed on the other side of Tigress.

Hu and Soo surrounded Tigress, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

As both the cheetahs made their advance, Tigress dealt them one of her signature split kicks.

The cheetahs were unconscious before they hit the ground.

Tai Lung, meanwhile, was slowly wearing down Liu and Yu.

The masterful leopard easily redirected every attack from the cheetahs.

Liu's guard faltered for a split second- it was here that Tai Lung struck him at a nerve point.

Lights out for Liu.

Now Tigress and Tai Lung both started threateningly towards Yu.

The remaining cheetah took a deep stance, growled, and then turned and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

Catching their breath, Tigress and Tai Lung set off again leisurely towards the Valley of Peace.

"What a bother," Tai Lung said buoyantly. "Now we'll be late for supper."


	13. Cheetahs Never Prosper

The shimmering moon cast its pale radiance across the Valley of Peace.

Four cheetahs slunk despondently back to the guest dormitory of the Jade Palace. Battered and bruised, they settled in Hu's room, and sat around a small table.

"Good plan," Soo said sarcastically.

"Oh, _shut up!" _Hu snapped angrily, turning towards her.

"It will do no good to fight amongst ourselves," Liu said, trying to calm the angry cats. "Instead, we should be thinking of how we're going to prevent _that _from happening again tomorrow."

"I agree," Yu said, and pulled a small satchel from his pocket.

Everyone turned to look at the small bag as Yu laid it on the table.

"What's that?" Hu asked Yu, voicing the question of his other two companions.

"This, my friends, is Yanpang Powder. It is completely tasteless and colorless, dissolves in liquid, and is among the more powerful anesthetics found in China. Once ingested, it will cause severe sedation in two minutes, and unconsciousness in four."

"So, all we have to do is give this to the Furious Five before our match, and we win without throwing a punch?" Hu asked, impressed. "We'll give them some tea spiked with the powder just before the fight. It will be almost too easy. "

Satisfied that their plan was foolproof, the Axiom returned to their respective bedrooms.

Meanwhile, back in the student dormitory, the Furious Five were celebrating Tai Lung and Tigress's return. Everything was going along nicely, except for the fact that one of the guests of honor was not present.

Tigress had excused herself early, saying that she had "some things to take care of."

"I don't understand what she could possibly have to do on the night of her own welcome home party," Mantis said, helping himself to another slice of the pie Po had baked.

Everyone shrugged; that was just Tigress.

The Five and Po stayed up late, grilling Tai Lung about his "mission," until Shifu marched into the kitchen and insisted that everyone go to bed.

_The next day, ten minutes to noon-_

The students of the Jade Palace were finishing off their preparations for their match against the Axiom- today were the two-on-two matches, and the Furious Five had spent all morning practicing with their partners.

Tai Lung and Tigress were first up against Hu and Liu that day. As they walked through the grounds towards the already-noisy courtyard, someone called to them from behind.

Turning around, they saw Hu and Liu walking behind them, laden with a tray of cups.

"Tigress, Tai Lung, a moment if you will," Hu requested, gesturing for them to approach. "Despite our… slight confrontation, we would like to wish you luck in your match today. Won't you have some tea with us as an… apologetic gesture for our terrible behavior yesterday?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," Tai Lung said, sitting down on a flat rock nearby.

"_Excellent_." There was the slightest tone of malice in Hu's voice as he said this.

Hu set a cup in front of each person.

"What are you doing?" Shifu asked gruffly, walking past the four felines towards the courtyard. "Your match starts in five minutes."

"Don't worry," Hu assured the aged red panda. "We will only be a moment."

Muttering and shaking his head, Shifu continued on towards his destination.

"Well then, to us," Hu said, picking up the cup in front of him and drinking. The other three followed suit.

"We should probably get going to our match, Hu said," now grinning widely.

"Yes…" Tai Lung said, a bit confused.

The four warriors rose and started towards the courtyard.

As usual, Shifu introduced the match.

"Today's battle will be between Tai Lung and Tigress of the Jade Palace, and Hu and Liu of Tian Na!"

The four fighters took their positions in the middle of the courtyard.

_Any minute now,_ Hu thought sinisterly, feeling a bit tired.

As the fight started, Tigress began laughing.

"What's so funny?" Liu asked slowly, wobbling a bit on his feet.

"I know something you don't know."

"What would that be?" Hu asked, feeling exhausted now.

"You drank from the wrong cups."

_How did she know?! _Hu and Liu both thought furiously in their last moments of consciousness.

The two cheetahs fell limply to the ground in a heap.

The crowd fell silent. Then, slow clapping began. And then back to the usual thunder of applause and cheering.

"The winners are… Tai Lung and Tigress!" Shifu announced, not half as surprised as he should have been.

"How _did_ you know about that?" Tai Lung asked Tigress, amazed.

Tigress had spent the previous night listening quietly on top of the roof of the guest dormitory. She had heard about the whole plan and had swapped the cups while Shifu distracted Hu and Liu. Her plan had worked perfectly.

"I did some of reconnaissance of my own last night," Tigress stated simply, and returned across the sunny courtyard to the rest of the Jade Palace students.


	14. An Entangled Evening

Author's Note: Dreadfully sorry for the long wait. I've been having a spot of computer trouble lately, but I think everything's done and dusted now. Enjoy.

* * *

Pale sunlight spread its glimmering columns over the Valley of Peace.

The morning bell announced the beginning of another "day of respite" for the warriors competing in the San Xue Xiao.

The Jade Palace had pulled ahead of Tian Na by one point. Lee Da was two points behind Tian Na.

"You have performed well, my students," Shifu said approvingly to the warriors gathered in the dormitory hall. "As a treat, I will allow you all the day off after morning training."

Everyone bowed to the aged red panda and set off excitedly towards the training hall.

"This is great," Mantis said happily. "I can't remember the last time we've had any time off!"

Monkey and Po were already making plans to go peeping on the female side of the public baths.

The group of warriors walked across the chilly courtyard towards the training hall.

"Viper," Crane started nervously, "would you like to, um, go out for lunch, erm, this afternoon? I know a nice restaurant in the village, so…"

"I'd _love_ to, Crane," Viper said flirtatiously, and moved her serpentine body closer to the avian.

_That's it,_ Tai Lung thought to himself. _I should ask Tigress to go to lunch with me. _

Just then, though, the warriors arrived at the training hall and began their routines.

_I'll have to ask her later,_ Tai Lung decided, and set about practicing his favorite forms.

After morning training, everyone stopped by the kitchen for a light breakfast.

Po and Monkey excused themselves quickly, saying that they had some "planning" to do.

Tigress was the next to leave; she was going to go on a walk through the town.

_This is my chance,_ Tai Lung thought, and followed after Tigress.

As they were walking out of the dormitory, they saw Z coming the other way.

Tigress raised a paw in greeting.

Tai Lung decided to stop wasting time.

"Tigress," he said, at exactly the same time as Z.

The panther and the snow leopard looked at each other, surprised.

"You first," Tai Lung said, feeling courteous.

"Thank you," Z said, and then turned towards Tigress. "I was wondering if you had any free time this afternoon," he began, giving Tigress one of his most charming smiles. "A good friend of mine has introduced me to a most pleasant restaurant in this very village, and I thought that perhaps you would like to sample it."

"Certainly," Tigress said, smiling. "I always enjoy exploring the village. Especially if there's a good meal involved."

"Excellent," Z said, and gave Tigress another winning smile. "You can come along too," Z said, noticing Tai Lung's expression of disbelief.

"Naw, that's okay…" Tai Lung mumbled, cursing himself for letting Z talk first.

"Please yourself," Z said, shrugging. "I'll meet you at the gates of the palace at noon," Z said to Tigress, and swaggered away.

_Bastard,_ Tai Lung thought furiously as he watched the lithe panther depart. _Stupid Tigress, _Tai Lung thought, feeling jealous. _She didn't have to do that right in front of me. Of course, how could she have known that I wanted to take her out to lunch? I should have asked her earlier. Stupid me._

"Tai Lung," Tigress said for the third time. "Are you okay? You got this kind of vacant expression all of a sudden."

"Ahem, right, I'm fine, thanks." Tai Lung lied, and set off towards the palace gardens.

* * *

As the noon bell sounded over the grounds of the Jade Palace, a very unhappy snow leopard paced back and forth in the palace gardens.

_I have to do __**something**_, Tai Lung thought, swatting down an orchid. _Maybe I should have gone along with them in the end… _he continued to himself, dejected. _That slick Z… I bet by now he's… ugh!_ Tai Lung grew angrier thinking about the suave panther. _I can't let him win! But what can I do?_

Preoccupied, Tai Lung decided to take a walk in the village.

Tai Lung was walking around an expensive part of town, considering reserving a spot at a restaurant called _Il Pizzico_ for the night. _I wonder if Tigress likes this kind of food,_ he wondered, reading a poster listing the reservation prices.

"Excuse me," an ethereal voice said from behind him, "but are you Tai Lung?"

Tai Lung turned around to see a strikingly pretty leopard girl standing there.

"Indeed, I am," Tai Lung said, his fur suddenly feeling hot and prickly.

"I am Seiko," the female leopard introduced herself. "I'm a big fan of yours."

Tai Lung blushed lightly.

"I myself am a kung-fu enthusiast, but I've never really pursued the art seriously," Seiko continued. "Do you eat here often?" she asked, noticing Tai Lung eyeing the reservation prices again.

"Actually, I've never tried this place before," Tai Lung said honestly.

"I hear it's quite nice," Seiko said longingly. "I do wish I could eat here someday."

_Don't you dare,_ Tai Lung thought to himself. _This is for Tigress, remember?_ Tai Lung looked back at Seiko's divine form, and then estimated his chances of actually convincing Tigress to go to dinner with him.

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Tai Lung offered inevitably.

Seiko's face lit up.

"You would really do that for me?" she said excitedly, giving Tai Lung a magnificent smile.

Tai Lung bowed to Seiko slightly before he went in to _Il Pizzico _to make reservations for that evening.

As Tai Lung returned, Seiko hooked her arm around his.

"Perhaps until tonight," she said alluringly, "we could get to know each other a bit better."

With that, the two felines departed down the street.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tigress and Z were walking around a corner towards the restaurant they would be having lunch at. Tigress was observing the unique architecture of the buildings in this part of town when a delicate female voice distracted her from her thoughts.

"Wow, it's Master Tigress," the voice said.

Tigress turned to the side to see a beautiful leopard girl- arm in arm with Tai Lung.

Tai Lung was looking quite nervous.

"Um, hi Tigress," he said, fidgeting a little.

"Hello," Tigress said coolly, not looking directly at Tai Lung. "Z," she said, turning back around, "let's go. We wouldn't want to interrupt Tai Lung's _date,_ would we?"

"This isn't really, uh, a date, you know," Tai Lung stammered nervously.

"No need to explain, really," Tigress said, and continued down the street with Z.

Tai Lung had to restrain himself from running after her.

_Gods, I really am an idiot sometimes._

_Later-_

Tigress sat with Z at a table in a fancy restaurant.

"You were right," she said. "This place is great."

"I couldn't agree more," Z said, taking a sip of his tea. "There's one thing I'd like to ask you, though."

"Ask me anything," Tigress said, taking a small bite of a croissant she had ordered.

"Did you come here with me just because you wanted to try the restaurant?" Z asked, looking at his plate.

Tigress contemplated his question for a moment before answering.

"I don't think so. I really enjoy your company."

"That makes me feel better," Z said, stirring his tea. "But I assume that someone like you already has someone in her life?"

Tigress thought of Tai Lung walking around with that pretty leopard on his arm.

"Well, I most certainly _do not_ have a boyfriend, if that's what you're asking," Tigress said resolutely.

"I see," Z said, sounding rather pleased.

Neither of them spoke much for the remainder of lunch.

_That night-_

Tai Lung had enjoyed a meal at _Il Pizzico_ with Seiko, who had been quite keen on seeing Tai Lung again.

_The evening would have been so much better if it were with Tigress, _Tai Lung thought as he returned up the steps of the Jade Palace._ I wonder though, is Seiko interested in me? Argh, what am I thinking? There's only room in my heart for Tigress._

Tai Lung made sure that Tigress's light was off before he returned to his bedroom. He fell into an uneasy sleep, filled with dreams of tigers and leopards.


	15. What Mei Come

"Good morning, master."

…

"Erm, mornin' master."

The usual chorus of voices greeted Shifu at the toll of the morning bell.

"Today is a special occasion, students," Shifu said, walking down the hall between his pupils. "A special guest will be arriving to aid the Lee Da Academy in their competition. I know for a fact that at least one of you is quite familiar with her. She will be arriving around noon, so until then, off to training."

The students bowed to Shifu and began the familiar walk to the training hall.

"Do _you _know any female kung-fu warriors?" Po was asking Monkey. "Aside from Tigress and Viper, of course."

"I can't think of any I've _really_ known," Monkey said, thinking hard.

Nobody really had any idea of who Lee Da's new addition was going to be.

Except Crane.

But he decided to keep this fragment of his past quiet until it literally came knocking at his door.

_Noon-_

Everybody had gathered in the courtyard expectantly.

Shifu stood at the top of his podium, calling over the crowd in his booming voice.

"From the far reaches of the Lee Da Kung-Fu Academy, I present to you a seventh member of the team, a most excellent warrior, Mei Ling!"

Supporters of Lee Da cheered as a modest yet pretty mountain cat walked through the palace gates.

The cat, Mei Ling, acknowledged her fans and joined the Rough Rhinos at the side of the courtyard, to many warm greetings.

"The first match of the day will begin in approximately one hour," Shifu announced. "Be sure not to miss it; it's going to be a hot one."

Shifu stepped down from his podium, and returned to the palace, perhaps to have a cup of tea.

The students, on the other hand, walked forward to greet Mei Ling.

The mountain cat immediately rushed forward and embraced Crane.

"Crane, it's been so long- how are you?"

"Wait just a minute," Po interrupted, surprised. "You and Crane know each other?"

"Oh yeah," Mei Ling said casually. "Me n' Crane go way back. In fact, he was my first date."

"What?" the Furious Five and Po said simultaneously.

Crane shuffled uncomfortably.

"Come to think," Mantis said, looking at Crane, "you used to train at Lee Da before you came to the Jade Palace, didn't you?"

"Er, yes, I did" Crane said, blushing now.

"Hahaha! You never told us that you trained in the ways of the master lady killer!"

"Aw, come on," Crane said, his blush deepening by several shades.

"So, uh, how did it… end?" Po asked, a bit awkwardly.

The Furious Five collectively gave him a disapproving look.

"It seems that we weren't destined for each other," Mei Ling said, almost wistfully. "What with Crane leaving to train here and all."

"What a cruel twist of fate," Viper said, not sounding very sympathetic at all. She slithered closer to Crane and gave Mei Ling a look that clearly meant _he's mine, don't you dare touch him._

"Easy, easy," Mei Ling said, holding up her paws in mock surrender. "I won't step on anybody's tail while I'm here."

"Good. So we understand each other," Viper said.

"Without a doubt," Mei Ling replied, and smiled good-naturedly. "So where do I sleep?"

"I can show you to the guest dormitory," Tai Lung said, and beckoned for her to follow.

Mantis started grilling Crane about his previous relationship as Tai Lung and Mei Ling departed for the guestrooms.

"So how far did you go?" Mantis asked, nudging Crane in the ribs.

"Erm, I, well, we never actually…" Crane stammered, glancing nervously at Viper.

"He clearly doesn't want to talk about it," Viper said, clearly not wanting to hear Crane's answer. "Come on Crane, let's go." She grabbed Crane's wing and began pulling him away.

"Since when did those two get so tight?" Mantis wondered aloud as Crane and Viper left the courtyard.

Po and Monkey shrugged.

"The things guys worry about…" Tigress said, shaking her head.

Everybody laughed cheerfully.

_Meanwhile-_

"So you're the famous Tai Lung," Mei Ling was saying as the two felines walked through the dark hallway of the guest dormitory.

"Yes," Tai Lung said flatly. "Here's your room."

"The prospect of meeting you has always intrigued me," Mei Ling continued, walking into the doorway of the guestroom. "Now that I have, I realize one thing."

"What's that?" Tai Lung asked.

"You're cuter than the stories say."

She winked at him and shut the door, leaving a dazed Tai Lung in the hallway.

_Noon-_

"Today's first match will be between Tai Lung of the Jade Palace, and Mei Ling of Lee Da!"

Fans of both sides cheered loudly.

As Tai Lung took his position in the center of the courtyard, he couldn't help but notice a certain leopard girl cheering and waving at him.

Mei Ling walked into Tai Lung's field of vision, obstructing his view.

"Begin!" Shifu yelled.

One point for Lee Da.

_That evening-_

Tai Lung sat in his room, massaging his temple.

_She may be pretty, but she's got a hell of a right cross,_ Tai Lung thought, remembering the debacle of a match earlier that day.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," Tai Lung grunted.

The bedroom door opened to reveal Tigress standing on the threshold.

"Okay, Tai Lung, cards on the table. What _exactly_ happened today?" The tiger master's amber eyes pierced through Tai Lung.

"Erm, well, there was this one person yelling at me during the match, and it was kind of distracting…"

"Don't tell me you let that floozy leopard distract you from your fight," Tigress said in disbelief.

"Uh, not exactly that… I mean, it's kind of hard to explain…"

"I'm sure," Tigress said, turning to leave. "Do remember, though, you're not the only man in my sight right now."

_Why me?_ Tai Lung thought miserably as he watched Tigress return to her room. _I have to prove to her that she's really the only one I want!_

Tai Lung tried to formulate a plan, but the image of perfect Seiko kept invading his mind. Tai Lung tried to sleep, but all he could think about was how Mei Ling had acted toward him earlier.

_Why me?_ he thought again, drifting off now. _Why me?_


	16. Popular Mechanics For Lovers

"Tai Lung!" Shifu's voice called through the student dormitories of the Jade Palace.

It was late afternoon, and all the warriors were relaxing after the day's matches.

"Tai Lung," Shifu repeated, "There is a woman here to see you."

Shifu appeared in the snow leopard's doorway and beckoned him out.

Puzzled, Tai Lung followed his master out of the dormitory.

Seiko was waiting outside in the mild afternoon sunlight.

"I'll just leave you two to it, then," Shifu said, an ever-so-slight note of teasing in his voice.

Blushing, Tai Lung made sure that Shifu was out of earshot before he greeted Seiko.

"Uh, Seiko. Hi. How's it going?" he began nervously. "You look… fantastic," he added, noticing her rather daring clothes.

"Why thank you, Tai," Seiko said charmingly, and moved a step closer. "It's so nice to see you again."

Tai Lung's heart skipped a beat as he felt Seiko's warm breath on his chest.

"Would you like to, uh, come in for, um, a cup of tea?" Tai Lung said, desperately trying to control his breathing.

"I would _love _to, Seiko said seductively.

Tai Lung opened the door for Seiko; she made sure to brush against him on her way in the door.

Seiko and Tai Lung made their way down the hall towards Tai Lung's room.

"Now _there's_ a woman with a future _behind _her," Mantis quipped as Seiko walked past.

Tai Lung shot him a poisonous look.

The two leopards had just arrived at Tai Lung's room when Tigress came down the hall in the other direction.

She raised her eyebrow at Tai Lung as Seiko entered the bedroom, hips swaying.

"Uh, Tigress. Hey. This _really_ isn't what it looks like…" Tai Lung started, very nervously.

"Really, there's no need to explain," Tigress said, her voice cold as ice. "I just hope you're paying her as much as she deserves."

Without a backward glance, Tigress stormed off down the hall.

Conflicted, Tai Lung's head swiveled back and forth between Seiko and Tigress.

The image of Seiko kneeling on Tai Lung's bedroll was just too much to turn away from, though.

_I'll make it up to her later,_ Tai Lung said to himself, and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

"I'll erm, set about making that tea," Tai Lung said, not remotely interested in tea at the moment.

"To tell you the truth," Seiko said serenely, "this is the first time I've been in a man's room."

She stretched out enticingly on Tai Lung's bed.

It was all Tai Lung could do to keep control of himself.

Suddenly there came a scratching sound at the wall.

"What's that?" Seiko asked, sitting up.

Tai Lung heard Mantis swearing as he retreated from listening through the thin paper walls.

"Erm, nothing really…" Tai Lung assured Seiko.

Tai Lung finished preparing the tea, and handed a cup to Seiko.

He sat down next to her, and tried to calm himself down.

"You seem nervous about something," Seiko said, inching closer to Tai Lung.

Tai Lung felt his heart racing as her body moved softly against his.

"S-Seiko," Tai Lung said, his voice quivering.

"Shh," Seiko whispered gently, and kissed Tai Lung.

Their kiss grew more passionate; they began to fondle each other affectionately.

Then Tai Lung realized the weight of what he was doing.

"Seiko," he said, forcing himself to pull away. "I'm sorry. I just can't."

Seiko looked at him for a moment, an expression of pure curiosity on her face.

"That's alright," Seiko said, taking the situation in stride. "I'm a patient girl."

The ravishing leopard stood up, and lidded her eyes slightly at Tai Lung.

"I'll see you soon," she said in her smooth, even voice, and quietly left the room.

Tai Lung sighed with a strange mixture of despair and relief as he watched Seiko depart down the hall.

_Evening-_

Tai Lung was walking about the palace grounds, chatting casually with Viper.

"I'm telling you, there's really _nothing_ going on between me and Seiko," Tai Lung tried to convince Viper.

"Well according to Mantis," she persisted, "you two were acting pretty intimately with each other, in _your _room."

"That horny bastard," Tai Lung said to no one in particular. "I bet he was hoping for a show."

Just then, they noticed Tigress following Z up the stairs to the guest dormitory.

"What in the world…?" Tai Lung said aloud, dismayed. "You don't think…"

Viper looked mischievously at Tai Lung.

"Let's follow them."

Once Z and Tigress had entered the guest dormitory, Tai Lung and Viper crept up the stairs. As they opened the door quietly, they saw Z leading Tigress to his room.

Z opened the bedroom door for Tigress.

Tigress glanced quickly back down the hall, and, noticing Tai Lung and Viper, playfully pulled Z into the room after her.

Tai Lung and Viper started forward as the door shut.

"Isn't that cute?" Viper said, almost adoringly. "She's trying to make you jealous."

"Well it's not going to work," Tai Lung said adamantly. "As if I'd get jealous of some smooth-talking, air-headed panther…"

"Ohh, Z…" Tigress's voice purred from behind Z's door.

"I knew that you'd like this," said Z's rich voice.

Tai Lung and Viper looked at each other in disbelief.

Rushing forward, Tai Lung banged violently on Z's door.

The door promptly opened, to reveal Tigress admiring a jewel-encrusted sword that presumably belonged to Z.

"May I help you?" Z asked, slightly baffled by Tai Lung and Viper's sudden appearance.

"Er, um, ahem, well, I, that is…" Tai Lung stammered, desperately trying to make up an excuse.

"There's no need to explain," Tigress said, smiling slightly. "Really."


	17. Till There Was You

The students of the Jade Palace woke to the rough voice of Shifu.

"Students, please gather in the courtyard. I have an important announcement to make to the competitors of the San Xue Xiao."

As Shifu went off to wake the other schools, the Five, Po and Tai Lung got dressed and headed off to the courtyard.

"Beginning today, the San Xue Xiao will be in recess for one week," Shifu announced to the three schools gathered in the courtyard. "During this time I will travel to the Royal City and report the results thus far. I advise all of you to train hard during this period," Shifu added, looking meaningfully at his students.

Everyone present bowed to Shifu and began to return to the dormitories for breakfast.

"Crane, Monkey, if I may have a word with you two," Shifu called after the warriors.

Crane and Monkey turned around and hurried back to Shifu.

"The journey to the Royal City is long and treacherous," Shifu began, and looked back and forth between Crane and Monkey. "I think that good sense demands that I not make this trip alone, and since you two are the most adaptable terrain-wise, I would like you to come with me."

"No problem," Monkey said, stretching.

Crane nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. Be packed and ready to leave by noon. I will meet you at the palace gates."

The Furious Five (Three) Po, and Tai Lung bid farewell to Shifu, Monkey and Crane as they set off for the Royal City.

Once they had disappeared from sight down the long stairs of the Jade Palace, Mantis turned and jumped onto Po's shoulder.

"So, let's party!" he said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Mantis!" Viper said disapprovingly.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I'm the only one who wants to have some fun now and again," Mantis complained.

"I suppose so…" Viper said distractedly, staring off after Crane.

"Great!" Mantis said happily. "Me n' Po are going into town, then."

"Hmph," Tigress hmphed. "I for one am going back to the training hall."

Tai Lung watched her flounce away.

_Maybe tonight I can finally get somewhere with her,_ Tai Lung thought determinedly.

"Tigress!" he called, scampering after her.

The powerful tiger turned around to face him.

"Ahem. Right. Uh, I was wondering if you could, erm, spare some time tonight. I mean, uh, there's quite a nice restaurant in town, and I think you'd enjoy it. I'll pay, of course, so if you're interested…"

"Sorry," Tigress said coolly, "I have my training to worry about."

She turned and began to walk away.

"Wait! Tigress!" Tai Lung called and ran up to her. "Look. Things haven't been right between us for too long. Let me make it up to you! Please."

Tigress thought for a long while. Finally her expression softened a little.

"Fine."

"Right. So. Okay. I'll meet you here at the evening bell," Tai Lung said, grinning.

"Fine," Tigress said again, and began to saunter back to the training hall. "What would Master Shifu think if he found out we were goofing off like this," Tigress muttered, more to herself than anybody else.

"I'm sure that he would agree that we all need some relaxation sometimes," Tai Lung called after her. "Besides, it's not like Shifu's ever going to know."

Just then, Tai Lung felt a tap at his back. He turned around and found himself looking straight at Shifu.

"Urk! Um, I mean, uh… Hi! You're back! Good to see you," Tai Lung said, mortified.

Somehow Shifu managed to look down on Tai Lung, even though the snow leopard was several feet taller than he was.

"I expect you all to be in _perfect _shape when I get back," Shifu said, his face stern. "And for God's sake, _don't_ get anybody pregnant."

"Awah, abaa, gaa, ah…" Tai Lung stuttered, turning a deep shade of crimson under his fur.

Shifu turned around sharply and returned back down the palace stairs.

_At the toll of the evening bell-_

Tai Lung waited anxiously for Tigress at the top of the palace steps.

"Lost, kitty?" Hu taunted on his way out of the palace.

"Never call me that again!" Tai Lung shouted at the cheetah, turning to face him.

The two felines were about to fight when they glanced back towards the Jade Palace. The sight that they saw froze them in place.

Tigress walked elegantly towards them, the evening sun glittering in her fur. The part that stunned them the most though, was her clothes. Tigress was wearing a classy black dress. The neckline revealed just enough of her upper chest to make the two males break into a cold sweat.

"_Way_ out of your league, man," Hu said to Tai Lung, who was staring incredulously at Tigress.

Tigress nodded her head in greeting as she drew nearer.

"Tai Lung, Hu," she said cordially.

"Well," Hu said, clearing his throat nervously, "I won't stick around for too long. Now behave yourself, kitty," he patronized Tai Lung, and scurried off.

_Sleazy jerk-off,_ Tai Lung thought after him. But his attention was quickly diverted by the (very attractive) tiger next to him.

"Shall we?" Tigress said, and took Tai Lung's arm.

"Yeah…" Tai Lung replied, and, heart pounding, set off towards the village with Tigress.

_At the restaurant-_

Tigress and Tai Lung sat at a small table on a balcony overlooking the town. The cool night air rippled through their fur pleasantly.

"It _is _very nice here," Tigress admitted, taking a small bite of her dinner.

"I rather thought you'd enjoy it," Tai Lung said, content.

Dinner went by smoothly; Tigress and Tai Lung conversed genially.

It was late by the time they walked back up the quiet street towards the Jade Palace.

"Thank you," Tigress said as they walked leisurely along the road. "For tonight."

"My pleasure," Tai Lung said graciously. "I enjoy being with you."

Tigress remained silent for a while.

"As much as you enjoy being with Seiko?" Tigress asked finally, not looking at Tai Lung.

Tai Lung turned to face Tigress. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Look, Tigress. I really _do_ enjoy being with you. Before you, my life had no meaning! You have to believe me when I say that _you're _the only one I've ever wanted!"

Taken aback, Tigress looked tenderly at Tai Lung for a moment. Then she suspiciously eyed a pay-per-hour hotel next to them on the street.

"Uh, I didn't mean, like, right _now_ if that's what you thought…" Tai Lung said sheepishly, remembering Shifu's admonishment.

Tigress stood quietly for a long time. Then she took Tai Lung's hand. And slowly took a step towards the hotel.

And then, suddenly, Po walked out of the hotel door with a slinky-looking lioness beside him.

The hot to trot Dragon Warrior blushed furiously as he recognized his companions. He worked his mouth for a while but no sound came out.

"Er, hi guys," he said finally, still blushing. "What a surprise to run into you here…"

Tigress rolled her eyes. Tai Lung silently congratulated Po.

"Uh, yeah… nice place," Po said, nervously glancing around as though he expected the rest of his friends to pop out of nowhere. "Were you two going in?" Po asked, moving out of the way.

"We were doing nothing of the sort," Tigress replied, just a little too quickly, and began to pull Tai Lung in the opposite direction. "Come on, let's go home."

"See you guys later," Po murmured as the couple of cats headed back to the Jade Palace.

Back at the palace, Tigress thanked Tai Lung again, and hurried off to bed.

Tai Lung sat awake in his room, thinking hard about the past hour.

_We were about to do_ _**it**__, _Tai Lung thought in disbelief. _I wonder though… is that really what Tigress wanted? She's usually not the type to get carried away by the moment…_

Tai Lung couldn't decide what to think.

_It's not like I can just ask her, either,_ he thought. _I wish I knew how you _really_ felt,_ Tai Lung said to himself.

Tai Lung fell into a sleep with many vivid dreams that night. In fact, it seemed that all he dreamed in lately was black and orange.


	18. Throwing Down The Gauntlet

Tai Lung sprung out of bed at the sound of the morning bell. Remembering that he had the day off, he returned sleepily to his bedroll and dozed off.

Things happened in a similar manner in every student's room. Except Tigress's (are you surprised?).

The industrious tiger had risen an hour earlier, and was currently meditating by the shore of a mountain spring. She had come to this place several times before- it was a favourite training location of Shifu and Oogway when they were younger.

_That was close,_ Tigress thought, remembering the previous night.

She had been contemplating her motives last night the entire morning.

_Whenever I'm with Tai Lung, things feel so… right,_ Tigress thought, shifting her position. _In that moment, I _wanted _him,_ she continued to herself, feeling slightly abashed for even thinking such a thing.

Tigress opened her eyes- it had become significantly brighter than when she began her meditation.

Sighing, she stood up. With heavy steps she began the journey beck down the mountain towards the village.

* * *

Tai Lung and Mei Ling were training in the courtyard when Tigress walked through the palace gates.

Tai Lung was correcting one of Mei Ling's stances when Tigress cleared her throat loudly.

Surprised, the two warriors looked up.

"You two seem to have broken the ice quite quickly," Tigress said, a note of disapproval in her voice.

"Uh, g'morning Tigress," Tai Lung said nervously, quickly removing his paw from Mei Ling's hip (it was there for a purely professional purpose, mind you). "We were just practicing some forms, but we're just about done now," Tai Lung continued hurriedly, and rushed off towards the student dormitory.

"You _like_ him, don't you?" Mei Ling said teasingly as Tai Lung moved out of earshot.

"T- that's preposterous," Tigress said, turning away.

"Then how come you're so protective of him?"

Tigress didn't answer.

"If that's how things are, then let's just openly compete for him!" Mei Ling said playfully.

"Competing for a man as if he's some kind of trophy?" Tigress asked disdainfully. "Tai Lung is an honest and noble being! I could never treat him as though all he meant to me was…" Tigress cut off short, realizing her faux pas.

"So you _do_ like him!" Mei Ling exclaimed.

"Don't be ridiculous…" Tigress muttered.

"So you're saying it's all one-sided?" Mei Ling asked, almost hopefully.

"What do you mean by that?" Tigress asked, turning to face the mountain cat.

"Well Tai Lung certainly seems to have a thing for you," Mei Ling said, and looked Tigress directly in the eyes. "Do you love him back?"

Tigress stood in stunned silence for a moment. She looked into Mei Ling's amber eyes and saw the determination for Tai Lung there. She saw the fiery spirit of Mei Ling's desire. But most of all, she envisioned Tai Lung kissing Mei Ling's pretty face.

A new passion flared up inside of Tigress.

"Yes," she replied simply. "Yes I do."

Mei Ling grinned wickedly. "Have it your way then. But I've got the head start."

"How do you figure?" Tigress asked, cocking her head.

"As of today, Tai Lung is my personal trainer."

"So what?"

"Well this," Mei Ling said, moving next to Tigress, "will eventually lead to _this,_" she continued, placing Tigress's paw around her waist. "Which will eventually lead to _this,_" Mei Ling finished, spinning Tigress around to face her. The two felines' lips almost met.

"Of all the sneaky things to do…" Tigress said darkly, moving away. "Tai Lung would _never _be duped into _that,_" Tigress said firmly.

"Aw man," said Mantis from the sideline. "It was just getting good."

Two paws cuffed his head at the same time.

_Evening-_

Tigress was returning from the bathhouse when she heard the voice of Mei Ling drifting from behind Tai Lung's door. Coming up with a plan, she scurried to the kitchen and returned with a piece of leftover cake.

Knocking on Tai Lung's door, she was surprised to find Viper open it. Mei Ling was sitting at a small table with Tai Lung, apparently engrossed in something she was reading. Viper smiled when she realised what was going on.

"Don't worry, Tigress," she said softly. "I've made sure that nothing got out of hand."

"Tai Lung," Tigress began determinedly, "you didn't have any dessert tonight; I thought you might want something."

She placed the plate with the cake in front of Tai Lung.

Mei Ling looked up suddenly from her paper.

"That's quite alright, Tigress," she said rather edgily, "I brought some food for him. In fact, I spent quite a while preparing it."

Mei Ling reached into a small bag and pulled out a mooncake. Handing to Tai Lung, she smiled cockily.

Tai Lung looked back and forth between the two plates.

"Ehehehe, I guess you _can _have your cake and eat it too," he said, laughing nervously.

Nobody else laughed.

All present anxiously awaited his choice.

It was here that Po walked by the door.

"Alright! Mooncake! And the chocolate one from last night! I hope you don't mind, Tai," he said, picking up both plates and dumping their contents into his mouth.

All three females rolled their eyes.

Tai Lung sighed in relief.

"Right, well, I better be going," Mei Ling said, getting up. "See you tomorrow, Tai Lung," Mei Ling said over her shoulder in a sugary voice.

Tigress tired to calm herself as she watched Mei Ling depart.

"I suppose I'll go too," Tigress said, no longer having any reason to stay. "Good night, Tai Lung."

Tigress went across the hall to her room, and went to sleep quickly.

Po and Viper crowded around Tai Lung and began grilling him about the recent exchange.

"So what's up between you and Mei Ling?" Po asked, smirking.

"There's really _nothing_ going on between me and her," Tai Lung said resolutely. "She just kind of… wheedled her way in."

"Says her 'personal trainer,'" Viper quipped.

"Look, I never actually agreed to that," Tai Lung said defensively. "But how the hell am I supposed to turn her down? She's done nothing wrong to me."

"You've gotta quit your waffling and make it clear to her that you love Tigress!" Viper said, giving Tai Lung an encouraging look.

"Yeah, your right!" Suddenly Tai Lung turned bright red. "H-how did you know that I…"

"Oh, come on," Viper said teasingly. "It couldn't have been any clearer."

* * *

Mei Ling lay awake in her guestroom.

_I'll get you somehow, Tai Lung,_ she vowed. _I'll get you._


	19. Attack and Counterattack

The Furious Five (Three), Po and Tai Lung were eating a leisurely breakfast in the kitchen. It was midmorning, and everyone was rather contentedly relaxing.

Mei Ling walked into the kitchen then.

"Good morning, Tai," she said in a girly sort of way, and squeezed herself in between Tigress and Tai Lung.

Tigress leered at her.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" Po said nervously, trying to change the subject.

"It _was_," Tigress said edgily, shifting in her seat a bit.

"I think we all need to get out a bit," Viper interjected before things could heat up.

"Great idea!" Po agreed readily, serving himself a second bowl of soup.

"I think we should go up to the Northern Highlands and go ice skating!" Mantis suggested.

"Someone would have to teach me how to skate," Viper said, clearly puzzled as to how a snake would ice skate.

"I'm sure Tigress or Mei Ling could teach you," Po said, looking over at the two female felines.

"Oh, I'm sure Tigress is _much_ better than me," Mei Ling said, a bit cheerily.

"Really, Mei Ling, no need to be modest," Tigress replied. "I'm sure that the top student at Lee Da could even show _me _a thing or two about ice skating."

"Oh, there's no way I could compete with the _leader _of the Furious Five," Mei Ling said readily.

_It's like a battle to see who can be the most humble,_ Po thought rather confusedly.

_That afternoon-_

The Furious Three, Po, Tai Lung, and Mei Ling had arrived at the Northern Highlands an hour earlier. The group chose a frozen lake without too many others on it to skate on.

After donning a pair of skates, Po had set about finding a way for Viper to skate. After ten minutes, Viper and Po had come up with a sliding/slithering- like movement that seemed to be pretty effective.

Tai Lung and Mantis had taken off right away, and raced each other back and forth across the frozen lake. Now only Tigress and Mei Ling remained sitting on the snowy lakeside.

"You're pretty good," Mantis was saying to Tai Lung as the pair slid up to Tigress and Mei Ling.

"Well I _am _a _snow leopard,_" Tai Lung said. "You think I didn't spend a fair amount of time in cold places as a cub?"

Mantis nodded in understanding.

"Why don't you two skate a bit," Tai Lung said to Tigress and Mei Ling. "Come on, it will be fun!"

The snow leopard pulled the two females onto the ice; both promptly fell flat on their faces.

"You're joking right?" Mantis said in disbelief. "All these years and Tigress has never learned to skate?"

"Well, since Tai Lung is clearly so experienced, perhaps he could teach me how to," Tigress said, sitting up.

"What about me?" Mei Ling complained loudly, shakily standing up. She wobbled a bit on her blades before falling down again. "See? I'm just as helpless as Tigress!"

"I bet both of you are _pretending_ to not be able to skate just so you can get your arms around Tai Lung," Mantis said, smirking a bit.

"Don't be ridiculous…" Tigress muttered, blushing.

_Bull's eye,_ Mei Ling thought guiltily.

Po skidded to a stop in the middle of the group.

"I can teach one of you, if you're interested," he offered.

Mei Ling locked eyes with Tigress.

"I'll race you to Tai Lung. First one to reach him gets taught by him."

"Fair enough," Tigress said determinedly.

"Ready, set, GO!" Mantis shouted.

Both female felines started off, very slowly, towards Tai Lung. Tigress clumsily moved out of the way to avoid hitting Mantis, and ended up slipping and landing on her back.

"I've got the lead now!" Mei Ling shouted happily, and wobbled on towards Tai Lung. Then a small rabbit on skates whizzed by in front of Mei Ling, causing her to swerve out of the way and trip.

Regaining lost ground, Tigress and Mei Ling were neck and neck again.

As the two competitive cats drew nearer to Tai Lung, Po whispered something in Tai Lung's ear.

Just as Mei Ling was about to touch Tai Lung's outstretched paw, Tai Lung skated several metres away.

"Right then, come on!" he called to Tigress and Mei Ling. "Who's going to be first?"

Tigress and Mei Ling looked at each other again. And again, they set off towards the snow leopard, a little less shakily, and significantly faster than before.

Tai Lung moved away again as Tigress (who had pulled ahead by a hair) nearly touched his paw.

This time, the two females set off at full speed towards Tai Lung, both of them dropping their "inexperienced" facades.

Tai Lung skated quickly around the lake, with Tigress and Mei Ling in hot pursuit.

"I don't think _either _of them need _any_ teaching," Mantis said offhandedly to Po as he watched the three felines rocket around on the ice.

Po nodded in agreement.

The chase continued for several minutes; Tai Lung was seriously tiring when Tigress put on a ferocious burst of speed and, with an impressive flip, landed right in front of Tai Lung. She caught him in her arms as he came careening into her.

Mei Ling looked at the two in sour disbelief.

"Fine," she said coolly to Tigress. "You win this round."

_Evening-_

The cool night air swirled around the Three, Po, Tai Lung, and Mei Ling as they returned from the Northern Highlands.

In the dim kitchen, Po set about preparing dinner for everyone, but Mei Ling excused herself early.

"What a sore looser," Tigress muttered under her breath.

Minutes later, though, Mei Ling returned to the kitchen wearing a rather provocative nightgown.

She sat down right next to Tai Lung, who immediately felt his heart speed up.

Rolling her eyes, Tigress tired to change the subject.

"What's this?" she asked Po, holding up a clamp- like mechanism lying on the counter.

"It's for doing the laundry," he replied, and placed a bowl of food in front of Viper. "It helps dry out trousers by keeping their legs together."

"Maybe you should get one for Mei Ling," Tigress quipped, and sat back down at the table.

Mantis snorted loudly into his dinner.

Mei Ling shot Tigress a venomous glare.

Sighing, Po looked back and forth between (the scantly dressed) Mei Ling and (a rather annoyed) Tigress.

"Really, can't we all be friends?"


	20. Message In A Bottle

Warm tendrils of light crept over the horizon, promising a spectacular day. The morning bell rang at the usual time, waking the Jade Palace.

Tai Lung sat up on his bedroll and stretched his sore muscles (skating can really wear a leopard out). Donning a pair of indigo trousers, he stepped out into the corridor.

Po and the Furious Five were slowly starting to appear in the hallway as well.

As the group muttered morning greetings to each other and began to head towards the kitchen, Tai Lung caught Tigress's arm.

"Tigress, do you think we could talk for a sec?" he said softly.

Slightly puzzled, Tigress nodded and followed Tai Lung out of the dormitory into weak sunlight.

The two felines strolled along for a while in silence, simply enjoying the glorious morning.

Tai Lung and Tigress stopped underneath a shady tree, and turned to face each other.

"You wanted to talk?" asked Tigress calmly.

"Right," Tai Lung said, and took a deep breath. "It's about Mei Ling."

"Yes?" Tigress said slowly, stiffening ever so slightly.

"Well, I, uh, I just hope you know, that is…" Tai Lung trailed away as Z came striding over to them.

Tigress and Tai Lung turned to face him and waited for the panther to speak.

"Good morning, Tigress, Tai Lung," he said cheerily. "I _do_ hope I'm not interrupting anything here."

_Except that you are, _Tai Lung thought disdainfully.

Z took the silence as a cue to continue.

"Since today is my birthday, the rest of the Rhinos are having a bit of a celebration in town, and I would like to extend an invitation to both of you."

"Thank you, Z," Tigress said cordially, and smiled prettily at him, much to the chagrin of Tai Lung. "When is the celebration?"

"Tonight, at the evening bell, the Old Lions Pub," Z replied. "So you both will be coming then?"

Tigress looked at Tai Lung. The vexed snow leopard nodded reluctantly.

"Excellent. Really, you don't know how much your presence means to me," Z said, and gave Tigress a most charming smile. "I'll see you tonight."

Tai Lung had to seriously restrain himself from yelling something rude after the departing panther.

_That hotshot jerk,_ Tai Lung thought angrily to himself. _Who the hell does he think he is, always messing up my plans? _

"Tai Lung?" Tigress asked softly, snapping the snow leopard out of his mental tirade.

Tai Lung looked back at Tigress.

"You were saying?" she asked.

_I'd look like an idiot if I told Tigress how I feel after __**that**__, _Tai Lung realised.

"I'll tell you later," Tai Lung said, sighing. "Let's go back in and get some breakfast."

* * *

Evening found Tigress and Tai Lung (plus the Furious Three and Po) walking into the Old Lions Pub in the village.

"Sorry," Tigress muttered to Z as he noticed her companions. "They sort of just followed us here."

"No problem. The more the merrier, right?"

"I suppose so…" Tigress said softly as Po and the Three settled at a table.

"Hey, Tigress, Tai Lung, come sit with us!" Po called over to the two felines, who were still standing with Z.

Mei Ling, who noticed then that Tai Lung had arrived, came over and took his arm.

"Why don't you come sit with me n' Z?" Mei Ling said, pulling Tai Lung in the direction of their table.

Tai Lung looked nervously at Tigress.

"Erm, sorry, do you mind?"

Tigress stared back at him, slightly amused.

"Whether I mind or not, it's your choice, isn't it?"

"Well, we'll just be going then," Mei Ling said quickly, and pulled Tai Lung away.

Tigress almost said something, but ended up just shaking her head and walking over to the table with the Jade Palace students.

"I miss Crane," Viper said sadly as Tigress sat down at the table.

"Have some of this," Mantis said, passing her a bottle of sake. "It'll make you feel better."

Viper reluctantly poured herself a glass and took a sip.

***

Several glasses of sake later, Viper was coiling herself seductively around Z.

"Um, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Z asked the serpent nervously.

"Never felt better," Viper purred, and pecked the blushing panther on the cheek.

"You might want to stop her," Tigress said, frowning at Mantis. "Before she does something that she's going to regret."

"If you insist…" Mantis said, and reluctantly began to pull Viper away from Z. "Come on Viper, let's eat something."

Meanwhile, one of the other Rough Rhinos, Rimur, was encouraging Tai Lung to try every wine on the table.

"I think I've had enough," Tai Lung said, wobbling a bit.

"But you really _must _try this one," Rimur said, pouring another glass of expensive wine for Tai Lung.

Tai Lung picked up the glass and took a small sip.

It was here that Mantis hopped up onto Tai Lung's shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

"I- I couldn't," Tai Lung said softly, blushing.

"Sure you could!" Mantis said, smirking, and motioned for Rimur to pour Tai Lung another glass of wine.

Mantis whispered something else in Tai Lung's ear as the tipsy snow leopard drank more.

"What?!" Tai Lung exclaimed. "That's crazy!"

"So you'll do it then?"

"Of course I'll do it! Watch me!"

Tai Lung stood up on his chair, and swaying slightly, cleared his throat.

"ATTENSHUN, EVERYBODY!" he bellowed, silencing the room. "I, TAI LUNG, AM IN LOVE WITH TIGRESS!!"

Everybody stared at him, too shocked to speak.

Tigress approached him then, a strange mixture of bewilderment and distaste on her face.

"Perhaps you shouldn't shout so loud," she began.

"I AM IN LOVE WITH TIGRESS!" Tai Lung howled again, obviously not listening.

"Tai Lung!" Tigress said firmly. "Stop shouting right now!"

Tai Lung looked down with mild interest. He then seemed to realise something.

"Uh, you're Tigress, aren't you?" he said, smiling drunkenly.

Tigress just looked at him, as she usually did when he irritated her.

"So you heard what I was just saying?" Tai Lung continued, and stepped (flopped, really) off the chair he was standing on.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Tigress responded, and caught Tai Lung before he toppled over.

"So what do you think?" Tai Lung asked, leaning heavily on Tigress.

"I think we should go home, right now," Tigress said, and began to drag Tai Lung towards the door.

"Don't forget," Tai Lung said loudly over his shoulder, "I am in love with Tigress!"

"You are very drunk, Tai Lung," Mei Ling said irritably, opening the door for Tigress.

Tai Lung tilted his head to face her.

"And you, Mei Ling, are very stupid. And in the morning, I shall be sober, whereas you…" Tai Lung shrugged innocently as Tigress pulled him out the door.

* * *

Tai Lung came staggering through the gates of the Jade Palace, practically being carried by Tigress.

Soo, who was out walking, stopped to scorn the two cats as they hobbled towards the dormitory.

"Gods, how pathetic," Soo said, walking slowly beside Tigress and Tai Lung.

"I don't imagine that you could be the least bit _helpful?_" Tigress said, panting from the effort of getting Tai Lung up the stairs.

"You know," Soo continued, ignoring Tigress, "if _I _was his girlfriend, I'd put poison in his drink."

"My dear Soo," Tai Lung said, turning to face her, "if you were my girlfriend, I'd drink it."

Tigress giggled as she helped Tai Lung through the dormitory door, leaving a very put-out Soo in the darkness.

Tai Lung fell asleep as soon as he laid down on his bedroll.

"I do not envy you for the headache you'll have when you wake up," Tigress said softly as she closed Tai Lung's door.

_I wonder, though,_ Tigress thought as she got ready for bed. _Could he have meant what he said?_

Now of course, Tigress realised that Tai Lung was totally smashed when he had admitted his love for her, but the notion that he actually meant it gnawed at the back of her mind until she fell asleep.


	21. She Loves You

_What a gorgeous morning,_ Tai Lung thought as he awoke. The sun was beaming pleasantly through his open window, a cool morning breeze carried the scent of spring. And then came the aftereffects.

Tai Lung groaned as his head erupted into dizzying pain. Suddenly feeling very unwell, he rushed to the bathhouse, and promptly emptied the contents of his stomach into the sink basin.

_Last time __**I**__ go out drinking with a rhino, _Tai Lung thought miserably, cleaning up after himself.

The suffering snow leopard walked slowly into the kitchen, where Po was making Z and Tigress breakfast.

"Mornin', Tai," Po said over his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Tai Lung replied through gritted teeth, and sat down next to Tigress.

"So, you finally did it," Po continued, smirking at Tai Lung.

"What do you mean?" Tai Lung asked clutching his head.

"You finally told Tigress that you love her! Or at least, you kinda did," Po said, making both Tai Lung and Tigress blush.

"Really, Po, he was completely plastered when he said that," Tigress said in a chiding voice. "I'm sure he wasn't serious."

"Is that so?" Z said, interested.

Tai Lung looked up; his and Z's eyes locked.

"Oh, I was serious," the now-sober snow leopard stated determinedly. "I _do_ love her."

Z smiled widely and stared straight back at Tai Lung.

"Wow, if looks could kill," Po said, impressed by the expression of sheer determination on Tai Lung's face.

Meanwhile, Tigress was very quiet. She excused herself and quickly left the kitchen.

Tai Lung was about to get up to follow her when Mantis and Viper entered the room.

"You're never gonna believe what just happened," Po said excitedly.

Viper and Mantis waited expectantly.

"Tai Lung just admitted to Tigress, in complete sobriety, that he loves her!"

"Really?!" Mantis and Viper said together, and pulled Tai Lung back into his seat.

"Wait, stop, what are you doing?!?" Tai Lung complained as he struggled to leave the kitchen.

"A toast to your sober confession of love!" Mantis said exuberantly, and produced a bottle of champagne.

"Oh no, please not more alcohol! Let me go! _Tigress!_"

Meanwhile, Tigress was sitting silently in her bedroom, feeling very flustered.

A soft knock came at the door.

Tigress took a deep breath and stood up.

"Come in," she called softly.

The door opened, revealing Z behind it. The panther took a step into the room, and closed the door behind him.

"Tai Lung certainly broke the ice quickly," he said, glancing around the room.

"Yes… indeed," Tigress replied, looking away.

"Perhaps it's not my business to ask, but how exactly do you feel about him?" Z said carefully, now looking at Tigress.

Tigress remained silent for a long while. She thought about how she felt whenever she was with Tai Lung. She remembered the feeling of desire she had outside the hotel. She took the entire situation apart, put it back together, and could only come up with one answer.

"I- I think I l-lo…" Tigress muttered, looking at her feet.

"I understand," Z said gently, silencing Tigress. "I hope that you two are very happy together."

With that, the panther turned and left Tigress's room.

The thunderstruck tiger just stood there. After several minutes she headed off to the training hall to try and let off some steam.

Tai Lung only felt worse from Mantis's "hair o' the dog," and spent the rest of the day in bed.

As Z was walking across the palace grounds that evening, he chanced upon a familiar leopard girl.

"Hello there," Z said in his rich baritone voice, and smiled his trademark smile. All of the panther's pure white teeth glittered in the eventide sunlight.

Needless to say that Seiko was smitten.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" the leopard girl asked, looking at Z alluringly.

"Do you believe in love the first night?" Z asked in response, equally as enamored with Seiko.

Seiko grinned wickedly and wrapped her arms around Z.

"I think we were made for each other," the lascivious leopard girl said as Z led her toward his bedroom.

* * *

Tigress laid awake on her bedroll. She couldn't sleep for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that the floorboards above her ceiling kept creaking in a surprisingly rhythmic pattern. After half an hour and no pause to the creaking of the floorboards (or Seiko's moaning) from upstairs, Tigress left her room to take a walk around the palace grounds.

Agitated, Tigress walked quickly out of the dormitory door, and straight into Tai Lung, who had gone for a walk himself, to clear his head.

"Uh, Tigress," Tai Lung said, surprised. "Good evening. Uh, nice to see you. About earlier, uh, I really _do_ mean it, you know, and I, uh, really, uh don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything," Tigress said, pulling Tai Lung into a deep kiss. "Don't say anything."


	22. If I Needed Someone

The sun met opposition as it rose in the morning. Weak rays of light broke over the horizon through dark, heavy clouds. The inhabitants of the Jade Palace were roused from sleep by the deep rumble of thunder.

The soft pitter-patter of rain was clearly audible as Po made breakfast for himself, the Three, and Tai Lung.

Mantis was trying desperately to think of a way to interrogate Tai Lung and Tigress about their relationship when there was a knock at the kitchen door.

Po opened the door, and an unfamiliar goose strode in. The goose wore the formal attire of the Royal Palace, and was dripping wet, presumably from the morning's downpour.

"Special delivery for Master Tigress," the goose said neutrally, and held out a roll of parchment.

Tigress got up from the table and took the scroll. Thanking the goose as he left the kitchen, Tigress unrolled the letter and read aloud:

"_Dear Tigress, Tai Lung, Po, Mantis, and Viper,_

_We encountered an unforeseen delay while traveling to the Royal City, and have only just arrived. This means, unfortunately, that we will return to the Jade Palace later than was originally planned. Until then, be good, and if you can't be good, be careful._

_Master Shifu_"

"Well I'm not complaining!" Mantis said lightheartedly. "It just means more time off for us!"

"Don't you think that we should do something useful?" Tigress chided. "Like, perhaps, _training for the San Xue Xiao_?"

"Ah, lighten up," Mantis said, unconcerned. "Besides, haven't you found yourself a lovely new boyfriend to spend time with?"

Tigress and Tai Lung glanced at each other and blushed deeply.

"T-that is a matter completely separate from our preparation, _or lack thereof_, for the tournament," Tigress said in a matter-of-factly sort of way.

"I don't think another day or two will hurt," Viper said, glancing out the window. "But what would we do on a day like this?"

"The last time I tried to walk down the palace stairs on a rainy day, I almost died," Po reminisced, shivering slightly.

"Alright then," Mantis said reluctantly. "I guess a little training couldn't hurt."

_Later, in the training hall-_

Mantis, Viper, and Po went through their training exercises as usual, but Tai Lung and Tigress kept sneaking glances at the other, much to the irritation of Mantis.

"Are we seriously going to have to put up with you two ogling at each other every five minutes?" Mantis asked, vexed.

"Aw, I think it's cute," Viper said, looking over at Mantis.

By now, Tigress had turned a deeper shade of crimson.

"I-I think I'm going to go take a walk," Tigress said softly, and left the training hall.

"I guess you must be going with her," Mantis said, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I guess I must be," Tai Lung replied as he followed Tigress out into the rain.

The two felines walked along for a time in silence.

"What's the matter?" Tai Lung asked finally, wiping rainwater from his brow.

"Nothing," Tigress replied softly, and continued walking.

"You're not acting like nothing's the matter," Tai Lung said, and embraced her from behind. "Please, tell me what's on your mind."

Surprised, Tigress looked over her shoulder at Tai Lung.

"It's just… me," she said, looking away.

"What do you mean by that?" Tai Lung asked, and held her closer.

Tigress took a deep breath before speaking.

"For the longest time," she began, "I've been the one to keep the rest of the Five focused; to make sure that their heads stayed in the training. But now it seems I'm not even good at _that_ anymore. I don't know how to feel. Am I losing myself to love?"

"Is falling in love a sin?" Tai Lung asked, and moved around to face Tigress.

"If it is, then I'm going straight to hell," Tigress said, smiling weakly.

"Shifu once told me, 'strong bonds make strong warriors,'" Tai Lung said. "How can you fight to protect those you care for if you have no one in the first place?"

Tigress remained silent for a long time.

When she finally spoke, her voice was very soft.

"I have you."

Tai Lung looked at Tigress, the wind and the rain in her fur. Their wet bodies moved closer together; Tai Lung's and Tigress's faces were inches apart when Tigress tapped the snow leopard lightly on the shoulder.

Looking behind him, Tai Lung noticed Mantis and Viper watching from a distance.

"We were going to tell Tigress that we were finished with training, but she looked a little busy…" Mantis said guiltily, and scurried off towards the dormitory.

"Po's making lunch," Viper called, and followed after Mantis.

"Shall we?" Tigress asked gently, and took Tai Lung's arm.

"Certainly," he replied, and walked with Tigress back to the dormitory.

_Evening-_

The students of the Jade Palace had spent the afternoon sparring with the Axiom in the (very wet) courtyard. They decided to call it quits when Soo nearly drowned after falling into a pool of water that had accumulated in a drainage ditch.

After bathing and dinner, the Three, Po, and Tai Lung settled in the snow leopard's room to chat for a while.

Everyone was just getting up to go to bed when Mei Ling walked into Tai Lung's room wearing a negligee.

Tai Lung raised an eyebrow as Mei Ling settled down on a chair.

"The guest dormitory is no environment for proper rest," Mei Ling explained. "What with those noisy cheetahs plotting and planning all the time. And don't even get me started about Z and his new playmate."

"Sounds reasonable enough to me," Tai Lung said. "So how does this explain _you_ being in _my_ room?"

"Well, owing to the fact that I can't rest upstairs, I'm sure that you would agree as my personal trainer that the best place for me to sleep is down here," Mei Ling said, grinning widely.

"**_No way_**!" Tigress and Tai Lung shouted at the same time.

"But I told you," Mei Ling persisted. "I can't sleep upstairs!"

"Fine then," Tai Lung said. "You can stay here. I'll just sleep in Mantis's room."

"Sorry," Mantis said. "My room's a bit crowded."

"Ookay," Tai Lung replied, undeterred. "I can sleep in Po's room."

"Uh, Tai," Po said quietly. "I kinda have trouble sleeping with other people around."

"And I don't think Crane would be very happy if I got pregnant while he was away," Viper said, slithering back towards her room.

Tai Lung was about to retort angrily when Tigress spoke.

"I guess I have no choice. You can sleep in my room."

Both Tai Lung and Mei Ling looked up at her in shock.

"T-Tigress, is it really okay?" Tai Lung asked nervously.

"Yup," the tiger replied. "Come on, Mei Ling, let's go."

_Of course_, Tai Lung thought to himself. _As if **that** would ever happen_.

Once Tigress had taken out another bedroll for Mei Ling, she promptly changed into her nightclothes and laid down on her bed.

"Tigress," Mei Ling said softly as the two felines lay in the dark, "why must you always get in my way?"


	23. Paint It, Black

The damp ground shimmered in the midmorning sunlight. Yesterday's rain left a distinctly earthy scent in the air.

Tigress and Viper strolled across the palace grounds, chatting casually.

"I wish Crane would hurry up and get back," Viper said wistfully, staring off into the sky blue sky.

Tigress nodded in understanding and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

"I'm so… incomplete without him," Viper continued, sighing.

"I can understand how you feel," Tigress said as she and Viper circled the palace gardens.

"I'm sure," Viper said, a little more cheerfully. "Since you and Tai Lung are together now and all."

Tigress blushed and looked away.

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed about it," Viper said, slithering around to face Tigress. "Falling in love is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I don't know…" Tigress said softly.

"What do you mean?" Viper asked, puzzled.

Tigress remained silent.

"Really, you can tell me," Viper pressed on, leaning closer to Tigress.

"I-it's just… just the way that Tai Lung makes me feel when I'm around him," Tigress said after a pause. "The things he makes me want… I haven't wanted ever before."

Viper smirked and looked in the other direction.

"I guess still waters run deep," an unpleasantly familiar voice said from above Tigress and Viper.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Soo and Hu dropped into the path before the two Jade Palace students.

"What do you want?" Viper asked challengingly.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Soo said lightly. "Although it would seem as though Tai Lung really _does_ have the tiger by her tail."

"Perhaps we can use this fact to our advantage," Hu said to Soo

"Because the last attempt you made to dupe us went _so_ well," Tigress said sardonically.

Hu and Soo glared at her coldly.

"I'm sure that you will be saying that in earnest very soon," Hu said.

Without another word, the two cheetahs departed.

"They _need _to find another hobby," Viper said, exasperated.

Tigress nodded again and followed her companion back to the kitchen, perhaps for a cup of tea.

_Afternoon-_

"Have you seen Tai?" Po asked Tigress as he prepared lunch.

"Mei Ling sort of dragged him into town on account of 'important trainer/trainee business'," Tigress replied, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"I wonder what she's up to this time?" Mantis mused aloud as Po placed a bowl of soup in front of the insect.

Lunch passed uneventfully, with the usual banter between students. Tai Lung was still away once everybody was finished eating, so Po and the Three decided to do some training, and ended up staying in the training hall for hours.

It was getting dark by the time the four warriors made their way towards the bathhouse.

No Tai Lung yet.

When everyone present had bathed and was getting ready to go to bed, Tai Lung still hadn't shown up.

The Three and Po were becoming sincerely worried when Tai Lung walked stiffly down the dormitory hall.

"Hey!" Po exclaimed. "Where've you been all day?"

"Oh, here and there," Tai Lung said, clearly exhausted. "I think I'm going to go to sleep," Tai Lung mumbled as he sauntered into his room and flopped into bed.

Not long after this, the town painter knocked on the dormitory door.

"Special delivery for Master Tigress," the painter owl said as Po opened the door.

"Thanks," Tigress said, slightly puzzled, and took the long package held out by the painter.

"This one took many hours to do," The owl said in a squeaky voice. "The subjects just wouldn't stay still."

Tigress took the package back to her room as Po saw the painter off.

As Tigress unwrapped the parcel, she realised that it was a portrait of Tai Lung, with Mei Ling clinging to his arm.

_For, Tigress, Love, Mei Ling,_ read a card that fell out of the wrapping.

Tigress rolled her eyes and cast the painting aside.

_Mei Ling just doesn't give up, does she?_


	24. Dangerous Liaisons

Tigress strolled down a bustling street in the village, a bag of vegetables in her arms.

The warm afternoon sunlight cast its radiance upon everything in sight, giving the street a saturated look.

As the grocery-laden tiger made her way back towards the Jade Palace, a certain mountain cat was coming down the street in the opposite direction.

Mei Ling stuck out her leg as she passed Tigress, tripping her and sending the vegetables flying.

"What the _hell_ was that for?" Tigress demanded angrily as she chased after a tomato.

"Dreadfully sorry," Mei Ling said, not sorry at all.

Tigress stuck her tongue out at Mei Ling as the mountain cat turned and continued down the street.

_Where the heck is she going, anyway?_ Tigress wondered as she started up the steps of the Jade Palace.

As it turns out, Mei Ling was walking down a shady alley. Turning the corner and entering a seedy pub, she sat down at a table in the corner, joining four cheetahs that were already waiting there.

Neither the Axiom nor Mei Ling said anything until the waiter had delivered them drinks.

"So you have come," Hu said, taking a small sip from his glass.

"So I have," Mei Ling said neutrally.

"What do you require?" Soo asked, taking a sip of her own drink.

"You know what I want," Mei Ling said calmly. "I know you know. Because you want the same thing."

"Our driving motives differ significantly," Liu said, looking at Mei Ling.

"But our goal is the same." Here, Mei Ling leaned forward towards the Axiom. "So will you help me or not?"

"I believe that there is a potentially advantageous result in emotionally compromising Tai Lung and Tigress," Yu said to his companions.

"So we all agree then?" Mei Ling asked.

"Yes," Hu answered on behalf of the Axiom. "Now let's get started."

* * *

Tai Lung was meandering around the palace grounds when Hu and Soo approached him.

"Yes?" Tai Lung asked serenely as the two cheetahs stopped in front of him.

"How much do you know about Tigress?" Hu asked assertively, leaning towards Tai Lung.

"Enough to know that I love her," Tai Lung answered readily, and turned to walk away, only to be stopped by Soo.

"Are you sure?" the female cheetah asked, her eyes glinting.

"Absolutely."

"Would you bet your life on the fact that you love Tigress?" Hu asked now, walking around to face Tai Lung.

"Sure."

"What about _her_ life?"

"_What_ in the world are you trying to do here?" Tai Lung asked, irritated.

"We simply mean to assess your feelings," Hu replied. "Think of it as something of a psychological experiment."

"So what has this got to do with Tigress?" Tai Lung asked.

"Only everything," Soo replied, grinning slightly.

"What do you mean?" Tai Lung asked, sincerely confused now.

"If only you knew the truth about her," Hu said, almost sadly. "Would your feelings toward her still be the same?"

Tai Lung remained silent.

"We can tell you the truth," Soo said, moving closer to Tai Lung. "We can give you all the answers."

Tai Lung looked at the two cheetahs for a moment.

"I've got a better idea," he said. "How about I give you the finger (he did), and you quit bothering me?"

With that, the agitated snow leopard turned and continued his walk.

"It seems that his mental stability will be more difficult to shake than was originally predicted," Hu said quietly to Soo, who nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Tigress was receiving a similar treatment from Liu and Yu.

"Do you trust Tai Lung?" Liu asked Tigress.

"With my life," was the resolute reply.

"Do believe that he has truly changed?" Yu continued, circling around Tigress.

"Yes, I do," Tigress said, with a slight edge to her voice. "What exactly are you trying to pull here?"

"We are only trying to open your eyes to the truth," Liu said. "To prevent you from being deceived by him."

"I don't think you're in any particular position to criticize," Tigress said forcefully, and strode away.

At dinner that night, Tai Lung and Tigress discussed the day's peculiar events with the rest of the students.

"Something fishy is going on," Mantis said.

"I smell a rat," Po said in agreement.

"Or a mountain cat," Viper suggested, confirming everyone's suspicions.

"We just have to avoid falling prey to any of their slimy tricks," Tigress said, less concerned than the rest of them. "I mean, it's not like we could actually _trust_ anything they said in the first place, let alone now."

"Right," Mantis agreed. "But just be careful; I wouldn't put anything beyond those lowlifes."

* * *

"It appears that we must reassess our plan of action," Hu stated to the rest of the Axiom. "Tai Lung and Tigress are obviously quite mentally secure."

"So how will we crack them?" Yu asked.

"Simple," Hu said, smiling maliciously.

The perverse cheetah produced a collection of letters. Several letters were addressed to the Wu Sisters from "Tai Lung," and the rest were addressed to Northern China Criminal Syndicate from "Tigress." Of course, Hu had written all of the letters himself.

"We trap them with evidence that they can't refuse."


	25. Caught in the Act

"Tigress!" Hu called as he followed the tiger in question towards the palace gates.

Tigress made a point of not turning around and continued in the direction of her destination: away from Hu.

Hu had been dogging Tigress all morning, pestering her about Tai Lung's "questionable nature."

"Tigress!" Hu called out again.

Fed up, Tigress spun around and glared menacingly at Hu.

"_**What do you want?**_" She bellowed.

Startled, Hu took a step back.

"I am only doing this for your own good Tigress," Hu said calmly, and pulled a letter from his pocket.

"_Since do you give a damn about what happens to me_?" Tigress demanded.

"Since I have come to realise the truth about Tai Lung," Hu replied. "But please, hear me out. I believe that we all may be in very real danger." Hu said, a note of desperation in his voice.

Giving Hu a leer that would have curdled milk, Tigress waited for the cheetah to speak.

"I don't have much to say," Hu admitted. "Tai Lung says most of it for me."

"_What_ are you talking about?" Tigress asked, exasperated.

"_This,_" Hu said, holding up the letter from his pocket. He tossed the scroll onto the ground in front of Tigress and spread his arms. "I can only show you the door to the truth," Hu said meaningfully. "_You_ must walk through it."

Shaking her head, Tigress picked up the letter and unrolled it.

The letter was addressed to the Wu Sisters from Tai Lung. It told of plans to overturn the Jade Palace, how together, Tai Lung and the Wu Sisters could finally make things as they should be, and rule the Valley of Peace.

Frowning, Tigress threw the letter to the ground.

"Rubbish."

"Tigress, the evidence is right in front of you," Hu pressed on. "Will you deny what is clearly real?"

"I won't deny anything that's real," Tigress retorted. "But the thing is, Hu, I don't believe that this letter _is _real. I think that you wrote it, and I think that this whole thing is another one of your ill-conceived schemes."

"So be it," Hu said quietly, and walked away.

* * *

"Hu, you are an idiot! An _idiot!_" Soo berated her comrade as they walked through a dark alleyway towards a familiar pub. "How could you have forgotten that the Northern China Criminal Syndicate was disbanded six years ago- by none other than the Furious Five themselves?"

"I am deeply sorry, Soo," Hu said sheepishly.

"Yeah, well, thanks to you, I made a fool of myself to Tai Lung," Soo continued angrily. "And to top it all off, you didn't even get Tigress to buy the whole scheme?"

"We're here," Hu said, avoiding the conversation. He opened the pub door for Soo and followed her inside.

The two cheetahs joined Mei Ling at a table in the corner, and, as was the ritual, were completely silent until the drinks were served.

Mei Ling was the first to speak.

"I trust that we are not here to celebrate?" she said sarcastically.

"I'm afraid we've encountered an unanticipated complication in the plan," Hu said, trying to play down his blunder.

"What would that be?" Mei Ling asked in a dangerously calm voice.

"Hu screwed up," Soo said bluntly, earning a dark look from her comrade.

"Is that so?" Mei Ling said in the same, awful, neutral voice. "Please, elaborate."

"He addressed a fake letter from "Tigress" to a criminal organization that no longer exists," Soo explained. "They were shut down by the Five several years ago; so naturally, when I showed the letter to Tai Lung, he knew that it was forged."

Hu looked away, embarrassed.

"I see," Mei Ling said, and took a sip of her drink. "What about the fake letter from Tai Lung to the Wu Sisters? Did Tigress believe it?"

"No," Hu mumbled, and sank lower into his chair.

"Then here's and idea," Mei Ling said, her voice suddenly bright. "Send the letter."

"_What_?" Soo and Hu said at the same time.

"If the Wu Sisters turn up at the Jade Palace at a time like this, then Tigress will have to believe that Tai Lung was in correspondence with them," Mei Ling said excitedly.

"How does that work out?" Soo asked.

"Let's think," Mei Ling began. "Shifu's gone, along with two of the Furious Five. The Jade Palace is pretty vulnerable right now. If it gets attacked, Tigress will be sure to expect that it was an inside job."

"Tigress will be sure to expect that it was _us,_" Hu asserted.

"Besides," Soo added, "What if the Wu Sisters _do _show up, and kill one of us?"

Mei Ling remained silent for a moment, and then took a gulp of her drink.

"Back to the drawing board," she said wearily.

"Is Tai Lung really worth all the trouble?" Hu asked Mei Ling. "You know, there are other men in this world."

Mei Ling set down her glass and got up to leave.

"Tai Lung is the only one for me," she said resolutely.

Hu watched her go; Soo noticed the slightest tinge of regret in his countenance.

"Brother, you don't actually…" Soo began, shocked.

Hu thought hard about his response. For once in his life, Hu decided to be honest.

"I am afraid that I, too, have fallen to an unconquerable power. I have fallen in love."


	26. Alone, Together

The Furious Three, Po, and Tai Lung were all gathered in the courtyard. An air of anticipation hung around the group as they awaited the return of Shifu, Crane, and Monkey.

Viper rushed forward to meet Crane as he, Shifu, and Monkey arrived at the top of the palace stairs.

Wasting no time on words, Crane and Viper kissed each other passionately, in full view of their companions.

Frowning slightly at the blatant display of affection, Shifu greeted his students.

"Good to see you again," he said in his usual gruff voice. "That whole process took longer than it should have, but now we can finally get the tournament going again."

"I'd almost started to forget about the whole tournament thing," Mantis said, chuckling.

Shifu rolled his eyes at Mantis, and then suddenly jabbed Po in the stomach.

"Owwwwwww, what was that for?" Po complained.

"That was a test, and you just failed," Shifu explained, walking past the giant panda.

Tigress bowed deeply to Shifu as he approached her.

"Welcome home, Master," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, Tigress," Shifu said, bowing back. "I trust that you have kept everything in order while I was gone?"

"Ahem, certainly, Master," Tigress said, swallowing nervously.

Meanwhile, Tai Lung and Mantis were talking to Monkey about the trip.

"So what exactly took you so long?" Mantis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Monkey glanced around nervously, making sure nobody except Mantis and Tai Lung were in earshot.

"Master Shifu made me and Crane swear not to say anything about it," the simian whispered.

"Why, what happened?" Tai Lung asked softly, leaning in closer.

"Well, neither of us are sure, but while we were staying in the Royal City, Shifu kept coming back to the inn late at night, and insisted that we spend a bit more time there." Monkey took another furtive glance around. "One of those nights, he came back with his clothes all loose and a smudge of lipstick on his face."

_Dirty old sod,_ Tai Lung thought, smiling inwardly.

"I guess the old guy's still got it!" Mantis said, laughing.

_Later-_

Shifu had gathered the three competing schools (along with a sizeable crowd) in the courtyard.

"The second portion of the tournament begins now," he announced.

Thunderous applause.

"Tomorrow will be the weapons combat matches, so I advise all of you to be prepared."

"You know," Crane said softly to Viper as Shifu continued with his announcements, "with everyone here…"

"We could be somewhere else," Viper finished for him.

Amid all the noise and the excitement of the tournament, no one noticed Crane and Viper sneak off to the dormitory.

_That evening-_

Everyone (except Crane and Viper, of course) was practising with their weapon of choice for tomorrow's matches.

Monkey had always been quite comfortable with the staff; he and Mantis (who was wielding a staff himself) were locked in intense combat.

Po, flashy as always, was swinging around the Sword of Heroes, enjoying the whooshing sound it made.

Tigress, who generally didn't use weapons, had settled for a traditional spear, and was fighting Tai Lung, who was practising with all things unorthodox, i.e. chairs, buckets, ladders, etc.

After several hours of hard training, the Jade Palace students returned to the dormitories, bathed, and had supper, sans Crane and Viper.

"I know they're happy to see each other and all, but don't you think they'd at least show up for dinner?" Po asked as he got up to go to bed.

"I'm sure food is the last thing on their minds right now," Mantis quipped.

"Maybe I'll bring them some tea," Po suggested, taking out a pair of cups. Suddenly, though, realisation seemed to dawn on him.

"On second thought," the panda said, blushing, "maybe I'll just go to bed."

"Me too," said Mantis yawning.

"Me three," added Monkey. "I'm exhausted."

The three warriors went off to bed, leaving Tai Lung and Tigress alone in the kitchen.

The two felines sat quietly for a moment or two.

"It's nice to see everyone again," Tigress said finally, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Tai Lung muttered. "Crane and Viper certainly seem happy to be back together."

"Maybe they've got the right idea," Tigress whispered, and kissed Tai Lung.

"T-Tigress…" Tai Lung breathed as she moved closer to him.

Tigress just smiled and kissed Tai Lung again.

Tigress was practically on Tai Lung's lap when the kitchen door burst open.

Startled, Tai Lung and Tigress sprung up, only to find Mei Ling standing in the doorway.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Mei Ling asked innocently. The look on her face, though, indicated that she knew exactly what she had done.

"N-no, not really," Tigress said softly. "I better get to bed. Goodnight, Tai Lung."

Tai Lung sighed in frustration as he watched Tigress go.

Shrugging, Mei Ling began to prepare herself a bowl of rice.

"Do you want anything to eat?" she offered to Tai Lung.

_I was going to get something__** divine**__ before __**you**__ showed up,_ Tai Lung thought dejectedly.

"Eh, that's okay," the somber snow leopard mumbled, and left the kitchen to go to bed.

Mei Ling grinned evilly as Tai Lung left the kitchen.

_Mission accomplished._

Elsewhere, Hu laid silently awake on his bedroll.

_Oh, Mei Ling,_ he thought. _What must I do to make you love me? _


	27. Mixed Emotions

_Noon, the courtyard of the Jade Palace-_

"Welcome, spectators!"

Shifu stood on his podium, announcing the start of the day's matches.

"Today's first match will be between Hu of Tian Na, and Mei Ling of Lee Da! Warriors, prepare!"

The crowd cheered and jeered as Mei Ling and Hu took their positions opposite each other in the centre of the courtyard.

"Good luck," Hu said to Mei Ling as he twirled his staff around.

"You too," Mei Ling replied, drawing a bamboo sword. "You're gonna need it!"

"_**Begin!**_"

Mei Ling wasted no time in launching her attack.

Dodging to the side, Hu listlessly brought his staff up in an attempt to strike Mei Ling's head.

Mei Ling parried easily, and sent a flurry of kicks at Hu.

One of her lightning-quick kicks caught Hu square in the stomach.

"Come on," Mei Ling teased as Hu staggered backwards slightly. "Surely you're better than that!"

"You're technique is really quite astounding," Hu said, resuming his fighting stance.

"Maybe that's cause you're just not trying!" Mei Ling replied, and lunged at Hu again.

"I must ask you," Hu said as he ducked under a vicious slice from Mei Ling, "what is it that you see in Tai Lung?"

"I must ask _you,_" Mei Ling retorted, throwing knees and elbows in Hu's direction, "why do you care?"

Hu jumped back several feet and flourished his staff.

"It is rather hard for me to explain," Hu said, springing forward and swinging his weapon.

"What do you mean by that?" Mei Ling asked, and met Hu's attack head on.

The loud crack of wood meeting wood rang throughout the courtyard.

"I find that more and more often, there is but a single desire in my mind," Hu said, blocking Mei Ling's swift sword strokes.

"Which is what?" Mei Ling asked, flipping her sword around and blocking another attack from Hu.

"You."

Mei Ling took a step backward; her sword hung uselessly by her side.

Hu did not attack, though.

"_**What are you doing?**_" the rest of the Axiom screamed. "_**Get her!**_"

"_**Wake up, Mei Ling!**_" the Rough Rhinos called.

Mei Ling's clouded expression sharpened, and the fight continued as before.

Although the loud clacks of wood on wood were fast and furious, neither warrior was truly focused on the fight.

_He can't be serious, _Mei Ling thought to herself. _He must be trying to distract me from the fight… yeah, that's it…_

_I wonder what she thinks of me?_ Hu thought, but was wrenched out of his rumination as Mei Ling's sword grazed his arm. _Keep it together, Hu._

Hu was matching Mei Ling blow for blow until the mountain cat feinted to one side, and then attacked from a completely different direction.

Caught off guard, Hu took the slash full across the leg, and fell over in pain.

Mei Ling stood over the cheetah with her sword poised to strike at his throat if he moved.

"Oops," Hu said sheepishly as he looked up Mei Ling's sword.

The rest of the Axiom collectively swore in frustration as Shifu declared Mei Ling the winner.

Hu looked Mei Ling straight in the eyes as they shook hands.

"You know, I really meant what I said."

"I thought you might have," Mei Ling replied quietly, and walked away without another word.

_Evening-_

"_What_ is the matter with you, Hu?!" Soo screamed at her comrade.

Hu winced as Soo's tirade continued to assault his ears.

"You're letting love blind you!"

"I think that's a bit of an overstatement…" Hu said weakly.

"Look," Soo continued, ignoring Hu. "There is a proverb that equates love to water. The boat can float on water, but it can also sink in it. So stop sinking!"

"You make it sound so easy," Hu said, almost sadly.

_Meanwhile-_

Mei Ling lay awake on her bed.

_Why do I feel so conflicted?_ she asked herself again and again. _I shouldn't feel this way unless… unless I actually like Hu…_

_Elsewhere, in the village-_

Tigress and Tai Lung sat on a rooftop, enjoying the fresh night air.

"We really shouldn't be here," Tigress said half-heartedly. "We've got the tournament tomorrow, you know."

"Ah, but tonight is so beautiful," Tai Lung replied, admiring the full moon.

"It is," Tigress admitted sleepily, and leaned against Tai Lung.

***

It was late -just around midnight- when Tai Lung walked through the palace gates carrying a sleeping Tigress.

But not quite late enough to avoid Mantis's curiosity.

The insect in question had been hanging around the palace gates ever since he had seen Tai Lung and Tigress going out after the day's matches.

"I half expected you two to not come back tonight," Mantis said, startling Tai Lung.

Tai Lung just looked at him darkly.

"So… did anything… interesting happen?" Mantis persisted.

"Certainly _you_ should know by now that Tigress isn't _that_ type of girl," Tai Lung said as Mantis opened the dormitory door for him and Tigress, who was still fast asleep.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Tigress asleep before," Mantis said. "She looks a lot more feminine this way."

Tigress chose this moment to wake up.

"What was that?" the tiger master asked threateningly.

"Uh, er, ahem, nothing! You must be exhausted, Tigress, to be hearing voices," Mantis stammered, trying to cover up. "You better go to bed."

Tigress looked at Mantis suspiciously, and then realised that she was in Tai Lung's arms.

"T-Tai Lung, did you carry me all the way back here?" she asked as the snow leopard set her down.

"I didn't want to wake you up," Tai Lung said.

"T-thanks," Tigress said softly, and briefly considered kissing Tai Lung.

Another glance at Mantis, though, and she thought better of it.

"Good night you two," Tigress said simply, and went off to bed.

Tai Lung glared at Mantis before walking into the dormitory himself.

"What?" Mantis called after him. "Was it something I said?"


	28. Stealing My Heart

_Evening, the gardens of the Jade Palace-_

The crimson rays of sun cast long shadows across the ground, creating deep pools of shade. A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of lavender across the warm summer air.

Amid the peace and tranquility, Tai Lung and Tigress lounged on a soft stretch of grass, chatting casually.

Shifu, out on a walk himself, strolled through the palace gardens, and frowned slightly when he found Tigress curled up against Tai Lung.

"I _do_ hope that you two wouldn't do anything that I don't approve of," Shifu said gruffly as he passed by.

"Certainly, Master," Tigress said softly, straightening up.

_I wonder what Shifu thinks about us being together,_ Tai Lung thought to himself. _After all, Tigress _is_ his prized student…_

Tai Lung's thoughts were interrupted as Po came running (waddling) across the grounds in his direction.

"Tai!" he called. "Tai, I need to tell you something really important!"

"What is it, Po?" Tai Lung asked, stretching and standing up to meet the panda.

"Um," Po started awkwardly, glancing at Shifu and Tigress. "You better come with me."

Tai Lung looked at Tigress apologetically and followed Po.

***

"What is it?" Tai Lung asked again as he and Po left the palace gardens.

"Viper thinks Mei Ling and Hu are planning something again," Po said quietly. "What do you think?."

"I'm _sure_ they're planning something," Tai Lung said, but stopped dead in his tracks as Po pointed towards the courtyard.

In the fading sunlight sat Mei Ling and Hu, a bit too close to each other to be discussing another twisted machination.

Tai Lung blinked in surprise as Hu leaned over and kissed Mei Ling on the cheek.

_What the heck is going on here? _Tai Lung asked himself, dumbfounded. All he knew at the moment was that Mei Ling was getting up and walking quickly in his direction.

"Let's get out of here, Po," he said quietly, and pulled the giant panda in the direction of the dormitories.

* * *

"No way," Viper said, shaking her head as Tai Lung and Po retold to her what they just saw.

The two males' faces remained perfectly serious.

"_No way,_" Viper repeated in disbelief. "Hu and Mei Ling? _Together?_"

"That's what we saw," Po replied.

"Wow…" Viper said, shrugging (can snakes shrug?). "I guess still waters _do _run deep."

* * *

After a light supper, Tai Lung retired to his room to relax.

The snow leopard was reading a "men's magazine" when Mei Ling opened his door without warning.

"Woah!" Tai Lung said, startled, and quickly shoved the magazine under his pillow. "You scared me!"

"Tai Lung," Mei Ling said somberly, and shut the door behind her.

"Something I can help you with?" Tai Lung asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm going to ask you a question, Tai Lung," Mei Ling said slowly. "I implore you, please answer honestly."

Tai Lung swallowed hard and nodded.

"How do you really feel about me?" Me Ling asked, leaning forward.

"Mei Ling," Tai Lung began gently. "I'm sorry I've let this drag on for so long. I _am_ in love…"

"No!" Mei Ling interrupted, her eyes widening. "I don't believe it! Since I got here, my love for you has been unrequited! And now, of all times, you suddenly say you love me? Now what am I supposed to do? I don't know how to feel anymore!"

Turning around, Mei Ling got up quickly and ran from Tai Lung's room.

"Wait," Tai Lung said, rising. "Wait!"

The snow leopard stepped into the doorway.

"I didn't mean you! I meant Tigress! _**I love Tigress!**"_

But Mei Ling was already gone.


	29. Shattered

Another day, another worry.

After a hurried breakfast, Tai Lung began searching frantically for Mei Ling.

_If I don't explain what I meant last night…_ Tai Lung shuddered at the thought.

As he was searching the palace grounds, Tai Lung came across Z, out on a morning walk.

"Z," Tai Lung said urgently, "Where's Mei Ling? I need to talk to her."

"Come to think," Z replied, "I haven't seen Mei Ling all morning. Maybe you should ask Hu. He and Mei Ling have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"Thanks…" Tai Lung muttered distractedly, and resumed his search.

* * *

Noon came with the first match of the day (Rimur v. Liu) but neither Hu nor Mei Ling were present.

Tai Lung glanced around, looking for any sign of them.

_Just when I need them, they disappear,_ the snow leopard thought grumpily to himself.

"Are you okay?" Tigress asked from beside Tai Lung. "You look like you've been searching for something all morning."

"I-I'm fine," Tai Lung said nervously.

Shrugging, Tigress turned back to watch the fight.

***

The tournament progressed as planned- Liu beat Rimur, Z beat Monkey, and Mantis beat Yu. As Shifu ended the tournament for the day, Tai Lung set back off on his search for Mei Ling and Hu.

As hard as Tai Lung tried, though, he would never have found his quarries. The two felines in question were lying together by a quiet river, hot and breathless from recent affairs. The trees all around them cast shade upon the two lovers, and lulled them into an easy sleep.

* * *

Tai Lung sat at the kitchen table with the rest of the Furious Five, nursing a bowl of Po's noodle soup.

"What's the matter, Tai?" Po asked, plopping himself down next to the snow leopard. "You've hardly touched your dinner."

"Just something on my mind," Tai Lung said quietly. "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight."

Tai Lung left the kitchen quietly, leaving the Five and Po staring after him.

_Late that night-_

Tigress was just clearing up the kitchen when a soft knock came at the dormitory door. Puzzled, Tigress opened the door to reveal Mei Ling standing behind it.

"Is Tai Lung here?" the mountain cat asked, her soft voice quavering slightly.

"Yes…" Tigress replied slowly. "He's in his room."

The perturbed Mei Ling nodded, and followed Tigress down the hall to Tai Lung's room.

"Tai Lung, you have a visitor," Tigress called, and started back down the hallway. Curiosity got the better of her, though, and she remained just within earshot of Tai Lung's room.

"Mei Ling!" Tai Lung said as he opened the door, surprised by her sudden appearance. "Can I help you?"

"Hu proposed to me," Mei Ling said, looking at her feet.

Tai Lung felt his stomach lurch.

"I-I accepted it," Mei Ling continued, her voice rising with every syllable.

Tai Lung's heart skipped a beat as Mei Ling threw herself around him.

"_I'm so sorry, Tai Lung!_" Mei Ling wailed."_I couldn't turn him down, even though you told me that you loved me!_"

Here came an audible gasp from Tigress. Tears forming at the corners of her eyes, she rushed forward and slapped Tai Lung full across the face.

"I hate you," Tigress spat, twisted in misery, and stormed off.

A desperate Tai Lung told Mei Ling to wait in his room, and followed quickly after Tigress.

"Tigress, wait!" Tai Lung called.

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Tigress said, not turning around.

"Look, I'm telling you, it's a misunderstanding…"

"_Go away!_" Tigress screamed. "_Pack your bags and leave!_"

"_No!_" Tai Lung bellowed. "_If you'd just let me explain…_"

Tigress retreated to her room and slammed the door in Tai Lung's face.

Frustrated, Tai Lung sauntered back down the corridor.

"I'm not leaving! Period! I'm not going anywhere until you hear me out!" Tai Lung called over his shoulder.

_So be it,_ Tigress thought furiously as she gathered her possessions into a small bag. _Maybe I have plans of my own!_

By dawn, Tigress had left the Jade Palace.


	30. Back In Black

"_She did __**what**_?!?!?"

The Furious Five (Four), Po and Tai Lung collectively winced as Shifu chewed them out.

"Tigress left…" Tai Lung repeated quietly, not looking directly at Shifu.

"Gods…" Shifu sighed, holding his head. "And you!" he suddenly burst out, rounding on the rest of the warriors. "You all just let her go?!?!? What were you thinking?!?!?"

"With all due respect, Master," Crane began uneasily, "if we had tried to stop her, several of us would probably not be here!"

"Gods…" Shifu muttered again, and paced back and forth.

"This is your problem," he said finally, turning to face Tai Lung. "You go bring her back."

"But I don't even know where Tigress went!" Tai Lung called as Shifu began walking back down the hall.

"That's your problem," Shifu said over his shoulder. "In the meantime, I'll go ask the villagers if they've seen her."

The remaining warriors looked expectantly at Tai Lung.

"Oh, all right," Tai Lung said, and followed Shifu out of the dormitory.

_Earlier that day-_

Tigress was very tired. She had been up all night, too upset to sleep. Finally, she had gathered her possessions into the bag that was now slung over her shoulder, and left the Jade Palace. She had not, however, had any specific destination in mind when she left. So naturally, morning found the troubled tiger meandering down a village street.

It was by complete chance that Z, out on an early-morning walk, came across Tigress at this moment.

"Tigress," Z said, surprised. "What are you doing out this early?"

Tigress didn't answer.

"Is everything alright?" Z asked, taking a step closer.

"Circumstances… compelled me to… temporarily leave the Jade Palace," Tigress said after a long silence.

"Is that so," Z said curiously, but decided not to press the subject. "Where are you staying in the meantime?"

Tigress just looked at her feet.

"If you need a place to sleep, maybe I can help you," Z offered.

Tigress looked up, interested.

"You see, my family owns a villa here in the Valley of Peace. It's where I've been sleeping for the past few days. If you want, you can use a room."

"You'd really do that for me?" Tigress asked, taken aback.

"Certainly," Z replied, and gave Tigress his trademark smile. "Follow me."

***

After a short climb up a ridge, Z and Tigress reached the villa.

"It's not much," Z said humbly, "but may as well make use of it."

"It's… beautiful," Tigress said, admiring the expansive house.

Z led Tigress inside, and gave her a bedroom (complete with an expensive bath).

As Tigress laid her bag on the floor, she made a mental note to do something nice for Z. The fatigued feline stretched out on the large bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

_Meanwhile-_

All the inhabitants of the Jade Palace had spent the morning looking for Tigress.

"Any news yet?" Tai Lung asked Shifu as they passed each other on the street.

"Still nothing," Shifu replied, shaking his head.

Po was waiting in line for a street vendor when he noticed a familiar panther walking up the street.

"Z!" Po called, and strode over to the black cat. "Have you seen Tigress? She ran out last night, and no one has a clue where she went."

Z smiled knowingly. "As a matter of fact…"

* * *

Tai Lung, breathless from his sprint up the ridge, knocked fervently at the door of Z's villa.

"Please, come in," Z said cordially as he opened the door.

Tai Lung stepped into the opulent house, happy to be out of the blazing afternoon sun.

"I assume you're here to see Tigress?" Z asked as he poured some tea.

Tai Lung nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," Z replied, and climbed the grand staircase to the second floor. "Tai Lung is here to see you," he said to Tigress, who was waiting at the top of the steps, just out of view.

"Tell him to go back to the Palace," Tigress said bluntly. "Please."

Z walked back down the stairs, an apologetic look on his face.

"I suppose you heard her," he said to Tai Lung.

"Yeah," he replied, and walked over to the foot of the staircase.

"Tigress!" Tai Lung called up. "You have to listen to me! Last night was a complete misunderstanding! I never told Mei Ling that I loved her! It was all her imagina…"

Suddenly, a pillow sailed down from the top of the stairs, and hit Tai Lung squarely in the face.

"Go away!" Tigress shouted.

"Tigress, please, listen," Tai Lung pleaded, but was answered only by another pillow to the head.

From somewhere on the second floor, a door slammed.

"I'll just come by tomorrow, then," Tai Lung said loudly, and returned to the foyer.

"Sorry to bother you like this," Tai Lung said to Z grumpily.

"No problem," Z said, and then moved closer to Tai Lung. "She'll cool down. Trust me," Z said softly, and opened the door for Tai Lung.

***

_I guess I"ll_ _give her a bit more time to calm down,_ Tai Lung thought as he climbed the steps of the Jade Palace. _I'll try again tomorow._

***

_He can come back every day for the rest of his life,_ Tigress thought to herself as she laid stiffly on the bed. _I'm never going back._


	31. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Soft rays of sunlight fell across the Valley of Peace, promising a spectacular day.

Tigress stretched as she sat down at Z's large kitchen table.

The elegant panther himself was busy fixing a breakfast.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you so terribly," Tigress said apologetically, realizing that she had been at Z's villa for five days now.

"It's not a problem," Z said graciously. "You're welcome here any time. But it _has _been five days. Don't you think everyone else is getting worried about you?"

"They know I'm fine, don't they?" Tigress asked, referencing the fact that Tai Lung had stopped by every day (and had met nothing but resistance from Tigress).

"Yeah," Z agreed. "But what about the tournament? I mean, so far, you haven't had any matches, but what about when you do?"

Tigress remained silent for a while.

"The truth is, Z, I really don't care anymore," Tigress said, looking away.

"It's pretty scary, to hear that coming from you," Z said, and placed a large bowl of fruit in front of Tigress. "Sorry to leave you, but _I _have a match in the tournament today," Z said, and turned towards the door.

Tigress simply raised a paw in farewell.

***

_I should really do something,_ Tigress told herself as she stared out a large window in Z's villa.

Z had returned to the house an hour ago- it was now late afternoon.

And, like clockwork, a knock came at the door.

As had been done for the past several days, Z announced Tai Lung's arrival, Tigress promptly dismissed the snow leopard, and that was that.

_What can he say anymore? _Tigress thought as she stepped out onto a balcony. _How many times can he use the same old excuses?_ Tigress watched Tai Lung slowly make his way back down towards the village. As the snow leopard sauntered away, a small part of Tigress softened. _Maybe I'll listen to him tomorrow,_ she thought. _Just for a little bit._

* * *

"We have a problem," Shifu stated.

This much was clear to all his students, who were gathered around their master.

"Not only has one of our most esteemed warriors left the Palace, but she's supposed to be fighting a crucial match against Hu tomorrow!" Shifu continued, pacing back and forth anxiously.

"What will we do without Tigress, Master?" Viper asked hopelessly.

"We have no choice," Shifu said. "If she doesn't show up by tomorrow morning, which I doubt she will, then we'll have to find a substitute."

"Any ideas?" Po asked.

Naturally, all eyes fell to Tai Lung.

"Wait a minute, me?" Tai Lung asked incredulously.

"You're the closest thing we have," Shifu said.

"But I have to go see Tigress…" Tai Lung complained.

"Leaving her alone for one day won't hurt anything," Mantis said. "She's clearly not going to listen any time soon."

"I guess so…" Tai Lung agreed reluctantly. "Fine. I'll fight Hu."

_The next day, evening-_

_I can't believe Tai Lung didn't show up,_ Tigress thought to herself. _That coward. I finally decide to hear him out, and he decides not to come. _

"Tigress," Z called from outside the door. "There's a letter here for you."

Tigress got up and opened the door.

"It's from Shifu," Z said as he handed Tigress the letter.

Tigress shut the door after Z had gone back down the hallway.

Unrolling the parchment, Tigress read:

_Dear Tigress,_

_Although I would have appreciated your prompt return to the Jade Palace, I understand that you may need time. Owing to this fact, I have found a replacement for you, for the time being. Don't worry about…_

Tigress set the letter down, unable to read on.

_W-what the hell?_ she thought. _A replacement? _Tigress felt her heart sink at the very notion. _How can I ever go back now?_

_Meanwhile-_

Tai Lung complained loudly as he was forced though a difficult training exercise for the third time in a row.

"Why again do I have to do this?" Tai Lung asked Shifu, who was overseeing the training.

"If you're going to be Tigress's replacement, you're going to do _her_ training," Shifu said mercilessly.

_Tigress, _Tai Lung thought. _Tomorrow! Tomorrow I'll bring you back!_


	32. Stairway to Heaven

The first light of day crept across the Valley of Peace, rousing Tigress from an uneasy half- sleep. Exhausted, she left her room and walked down the hall to Z's large kitchen, where she was surprised to find Z already making breakfast.

"You're up early," Z observed, not looking up from his task.

"Mmm," Tigress grunted. "I think I'll go out for a bit."

Z nodded in farewell as Tigress walked out the front door.

Determined to find out whom her replacement was, Tigress headed in the direction of the Jade Palace. Not quite thinking, Tigress let her legs guide her back to her home. As the furtive feline climbed the steps of the towering structure, she felt a twinge of anxiousness. Tigress was quite aware that the rest of the Five were hard at work training by now, so, quietly as she could, she sneaked through the palace gate and nimbly hopped up onto a jade rooftop overlooking the courtyard.

"Do it faster!" Shifu shouted at Tai Lung, who was doing complex evasive acrobatics in the open space. "How are you ever going to fight in Tigress's stead if you're only half as fast?"

_Tai Lung's my replacement?_ Tigress thought incredulously. _All this time I've been worried about nothing_.

As Tigress turned to leave, her foot knocked a loose shingle, sending it sliding off the roof to shatter in the courtyard below.

"Who's there?" Tai Lung demanded, looking around suspiciously. The snow leopard looked towards the roof just in time to see a striped tail vanish over the peak.

"Tigress…" Tai Lung said slowly, realization slowly dawning on him. "TIGRESS!" he repeated, and dashed after her.

"What's going on here?" Viper asked as she entered the courtyard with Crane.

"It's Tigress," Shifu said, and took off after his prized pupils.

Crane and Viper looked at each other for a moment, and then, calling to Mantis and Monkey (who were sneaking off anyway) followed after Shifu.

_I don't believe this,_ Tigress thought to herself as she ran towards the palace steps.

As Tigress sprinted through the palace gate, she noticed Soo coming up the steps in her direction.

"Get out of the way!" Tigress yelled as she rushed down the steps two at a time.

Instead, Soo stuck her tail out, tripping Tigress and sending her crashing down a flight of steps.

Tigress landed hard, but managed to avoid rolling down the next flight.

"You _jackass!_" Tigress called over her shoulder at Soo.

Tigress tried to get up, but her left ankle wouldn't bear the weight.

_Damn it all, I must have sprained it!_ she thought to herself.

"Tigress!" Tai Lung called, now catching up. "Wait! Why are you running?"

_Why _am _I running?_ Tigress asked herself. _Wasn't I going to listen to Tai Lung anyway?_

"Tigress!" Tai Lung repeated, running up next to her. "Are you okay?"

Tigress just sat there, unable to do anything else.

"T- Tigress…" Tai Lung said again, his voice quavering. "Oh, Tigress. I- I can explain, I can explain everything…" Tai Lung began desperately, sobbing now. "Please, _please _come back home."

"D- don't cry," Tigress said softly, realizing that tears were forming in her own eyes. "I- I'm back now."

It was here that the rest of the Palace inhabitants caught up with the two felines.

"Tigress!" Shifu said gruffly. "Good to have you back."

Suddenly, though, Shifu felt his heart sink as he realized that Tigress just fell down twenty feet of stairs.

"You're not… hurt, are you?" he asked hopelessly.

"I should be fine…" Tigress said quietly, and tried to stand up. Tigress managed to pick herself up off the ground, but cried out in pain when she stepped down with her left foot.

Monkey and Tai Lung caught her before she fell.

"This does not bode well…" Shifu said quietly, and began back up the stairs.

"Come on, guys," Po called as he waddled down the stairs. "Wait for me!" Then he saw Tigress, leaning heavily on Tai Lung. "Oh man! Tigress! You're back! Uh, are you okay?"

Tigress nodded to Po, and, clutching Tai Lung's arm (for more than just support), climbed back up the stairs to her home.


	33. Bleeding Heart

"It's definitely sprained," the Valley doctor asserted as he examined Tigress's left ankle. "I recommend staying off of it for a week, at least."

The rest of the Furious Five, Po, Tai Lung and Shifu, who were gathered around Tigress's bed, sighed collectively.

"This does not bode well," Shifu repeated for the twelfth time that morning.

Shifu began musing to himself as the doctor packed up and left. "All these years, we've been the superiour school. And now, Tigress is injured. Ha ha. We're only two points ahead. Ha ha ha. We're going to loose. Wahaha. There's… just no other way about it! Wahahahaah! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Shifu began to laugh hysterically before Crane shook him back to his senses.

"Ahem," Shifu said, shaking his head vigourously. "Thank you Crane. Right. There is no need to panic, this is just a temporary setback to our plan of attack. We shall continue with our training as per usual, sans Tigress, of course. I will choose a replacement for Tigress prior to each of her scheduled matches. Now, to the training hall, everyone."

The Five (Four) Po, and Tai Lung began to file out of Tigress's room.

"Everyone," Shifu added, "except Tai Lung. You may take the day off to tend to Tigress."

Tai Lung bowed to Shifu as he and the rest of the students left Tigress's room.

Now alone with each other, Tai Lung and Tigress began to feel rather awkward.

"Is there, uh, anything I can do for you?" Tai Lung asked tentatively.

"Nothing right now, thanks," Tigress said, rolling over to face the other direction.

Neither cat said anything for quite a while. The sound of cicadas and the scent of summer wafted through the open window. Tendrils of warm sunlight filtered through, casting a deep sepia hue upon the whole room.

"You know," Tai Lung began, breaking the silence, "this whole thing was a big misunderstanding."

"I-I see," Tigress said, still not looking at Tai Lung.

"I really can explain everything, if you want," Tai Lung continued, leaning forward.

"No need," Tigress said, and then sniffled slightly. Soon enough, Tigress had broken into tears.

"What's wrong?" Tai Lung asked, moving closer to Tigress.

"Oh Tai Lung," she sobbed woefully, "I feel like such a horrible person! At the first sniff of trouble between us, I go flying off the handle and cause everybody all kinds of hardship! You've never even done anything to make me doubt you, but it would seem to anyone else that I still don't trust you! I just can't bear the thought of losing you to someone else! But how could a demon like me ever deserve someone wonderful like you?"

"Tigress," Tai Lung said, cutting her off, "You shouldn't feel that way. Yes, you can burn with jealousy, freeze like ice, and shout all you want. But I don't care about any of that. Because when you smile at me… the world's mine."

"Tai Lung…" Tigress said softly, nothing but compassion in her eyes. "You're too good…"

Tai Lung kissed Tigress softly. As he began to stand back up, Tigress pulled him down on top of her.

"B-Be careful…" Tai Lung said as Tigress hugged him tightly.

Just then, an assertive knock came at the door.

"Erm, come in," Tigress said, surprised.

The door slid open to reveal Z, who was holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"So sorry to hear you got hurt!" Z said, striding into the room. "I was coming to take care of you, but it seems that Tai Lung is on top of things, or should I say, is on top of you. By the way, is it really okay to do that sort of thing with your ankle being how it is?" Z asked.

"Ahem!" Tai Lung said, getting up quickly. "We really weren't doing much of, uh, anything," he asserted.

"Well, either way, don't let me cramp your style," Z said with a wink, arranging the flowers in a vase on the windowsill. "Feel better, Tigress!"

With that, Z left the room quickly.

_Always one for great timing, Z_, Tai Lung thought to himself sardonically.

"Z sure is kind…" Tigress said absent-mindedly, thinking of all that he'd done for her.

"He… He's not a bad person," Tai Lung said, a little grudgingly.

"You are so stubborn!" Tigress said playfully, hitting Tai Lung affectionately with a pillow.

Another knock came at the door, quieter than the previous one.

"Come in," Tigress called.

Mei Ling slid open the door and stepped into the room.

"I'm, uh, sorry to hear you got hurt, Tigress," Mei Ling said awkwardly. "Sorry that things turned out… how they did… I sorted things out with Tai Lung after you left and, well, you're the one he's been falling for the whole time…" Mei Ling then deposited a small package at Tigress's bedside. "I made you these rice cakes as a get-well present, so, uh, good luck!"

Mei Ling turned on her heel and left the room quietly.

_Well, at least she's being friendly_, Tai Lung thought to himself. _But will I ever get more than a minute alone with Tigress?_

Half expecting to hear another knock at the door, Tai Lung turned back to Tigress. To his surprise, she was fast asleep.

Tai Lung watched her chest rise and fall with each breath (purely platonic, people!).

_Mantis was right,_ Tai Lung thought to himself. _She is cute when she's asleep._

Contemplating the past hour's excitement, Tai Lung himself began to doze off. It wasn't until Po came in with dinner that both Tai Lung and Tigress awoke, and groggily thanked the giant panda for the meal.

After the two felines had eaten, Tigress settled back into bed.

"I'll take the bowls back to the kitchen," Tai Lung offered. "You should rest if you want to get better."

"Thank you, Tai Lung," Tigress said as he got up to leave. "For everything."

"Anything for you," Tai Lung said over his shoulder, smiling.

Although their bodies were tired and battered, both Tai Lung and Tigress felt better than ever as they drifted off to the merciful realm of sleep.


	34. Controversy

A rainy morning found the Jade Palace and the Lee Da Academy locked in a joint training session in the Jade Palace's hallowed halls.

"It's very sporting of you, to let us practice together," said Master Ros (master of Lee Da, for those of you who have forgotten) to Shifu. "Especially considering the most recent results of the tournament."

It had been two weeks since Tigress had sprained her ankle, and in her absence, the Lee Da Academy had made up lost ground, with Mei Ling defeating Po and Z besting Monkey at the acrobatics competition. Currently, the Jade Palace and Lee Da were tied with 8 points apiece, and Tian Na was trailing with 6.

"Well, I figure my students will benefit just as much as yours from this," Shifu replied amiably, clapping Master Ros on the back.

"It feels great to have you back," Viper said to Tigress as they completed a joint form. "The training hall just felt so… empty without you."

"It feels great to move again," Tigress replied, squaring off against Orri, one of the Rough Rhinos. Tigress drank in her surroundings; the familiar din of combat and camaraderie sharpened her perception and sent shivers down her spine. "I feel alive."

"It _is_ good to see the old Tigress again," Z said over his shoulder as he held Monkey's never-ceasing barrage of limbs at bay. "I could hardly bear to see your beautiful and noble self riddled with grief and depression."

_Get off the stage, you sap… _Tai Lung thought to himself, baffled by Z's shameless flirting. _But I'm glad too. Oh Tigress, for a while I thought I had really lost you…_

**Thump**

"Eyes front, hon," Mei Ling chirped as she walloped Tai Lung in the stomach. "You've gotta be awake to play around with with me!"

"Ergh, remind me to never get on your bad side…"

_It's nice to finally see everyone getting along,_ Shifu thought to himself. _Especially in light of all the recent drama…_

Amidst the morning's activity, no one noticed as Master Zuihan quietly made his way out of the guest dormitories and down the steps into the Valley of Peace.

* * *

Concealed beneath a hooded cloak, Master Zuihan bowed his head against the rainy wind blowing across the Valley. He came to the mouth of a secluded alleyway, took a furtive glance around, and convinced that no one was looking, ducked into the shadows.

"You're late," stated a deep male voice from deeper down the alley.

"I am deeply sorry," Master Zuihan said, a note of intimidation in his voice. "I… I hope I haven't inconvenienced you."

"No matter," muttered the invisible interlocutor. "You've done well to get as far as you have."

"Y-yes," Master Zuihan continued, voice quavering slightly. "Master Shifu and the others are c-completely convinced that the only reason Tian Na is in the Jade Palace is for the tournament."

"So they don't expect anything?"

"N-not at all."

"Good. The time is drawing near to execute… the plan."

"S-so soon?" Master Zuihan asked the darkness of the alley. "I thought we were going to take this slowly."

"Zuihan," the voice boomed, "I allowed you to become master of the Tian Na Organization under one condition, and that was that you obey every order I give you."

There was a flash of movement from the back of the alley, and suddenly a wolf with snow-white fur was upon Master Zuihan.

"Do not forget who you're dealing with," the wolf said menacingly. "I decide who lives, and who dies. If I tell you to execute the plan, you execute the plan."

"Y-yes, of c-course," Master Zuihan murmured, visibly trembling. "I am your humble servant, Übel.

"Never forget you allegiance," Übel admonished, and as quickly as he had come, the white wolf was gone.

Master Zuihan let out a deep sigh of relief.

_Gods above, he scares me…_Master Zuihan thought miserably. _But he's right. I owe a lot to him, and it's not exactly like I can question his authority and still hope to live to see tomorrow. Right, no way to have my cake and eat it too… Damn… I need a drink.

* * *

_

_Later-_

In the fading evening light, Tai Lung settled into a warm bath in, well… the bathhouse.

_Thank the Gods that the Jade Palace has hot baths,_ Tai Lung thought to himself as he reclined in the large tub of water. _I am most certainly the luckiest leopard in the world…_

Tai Lung closed his eyes and began to doze off, and was thus entirely unaware when Z walked through the bathhouse door. The steamy haze in the room camouflaged Tai Lung's silver fur, and Z didn't realize that the bath was already occupied until he had already climbed into the water, quite nearly on top of a sleepy snow leopard.

Tai Lung jolted awake, only to find himself sitting opposite a surprisingly calm and collected panther.

"W-what the hell!" Tai Lung exclaimed, quickly covering as much of himself as he could with his (admittedly rather thin) tail.

"Oh, come on," Z said good-naturedly. "Can't we all be adults here?"

"Z," Tai Lung breathed incredulously, "We are sitting in the same bath together!"

"Yes, well, I hadn't exactly planned on _my_ bath turning out like this either," Z said rather sardonically, "but since I'm here, do you want me to wash your back?"

"You're kidding me," Tai Lung said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Not at all," Z replied sincerely. "Besides, there's something I've been wanting to ask about you and Tigress."

_I see, _Tai Lung thought to himself. _He just wants to grill me about my relationship with her. Well, it's not going to work._

"Forget it, Z," Tai Lung said flatly. "Look, just leave for a second so I can get dressed, and then you can have the bath. I'll turn around."

"As you wish," Z said mildly, and got up to leave. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your take of things), Z didn't realize that Tai Lung had left a bar of soap right next to the bath. As Z climbed out, he stepped on the soap, his foot slid out from under him, and the surprised panther toppled back into the bath, directly on top of Tai Lung.

"_What the hell are you doing_?" Tai Lung shouted as he struggled underneath Z's lithe form.

"Sorry Tai," Z said sheepishly, and sat up. "I didn't expect there to be a bar of soap there."

Tai Lung was about to reply when a knock came at the bathhouse door. Both males fell silent.

"Um, Tai Lung?" said the voice of Tigress from behind the door. "C-can I come in for a moment?"

Tai Lung and Z looked at each other, but said nothing.

_That's strange, _Tigress thought to herself. _I could have sworn he said he was going to take a bath. Oh well. Maybe I'll just take a bath myself..._

"What do we do now?" Tai Lung whispered desperately.

But then, the bathhouse door slid open. Tigress, wrapped in nothing but a towel, walked in, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Tai Lung and Z. In the bath. Together. Naked.

Both Tai Lung and Z blushed furiously.

"T-T-T-Tigress!" Tai Lung stammered. "This _really_ isn't what it looks like!"

"Ah, i-indeed," Z continued, just as flustered. "This is the simple product of a logistical error!"

"Ahem… er, well…" Tigress mumbled, lost for words.

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Tigress spoke.

"I could almost understand it if you cheated on me with Mei Ling," Tigress (who had now turned a deeper shade of crimson) said to Tai Lung. "But I never expected to see this…"

With a long-suppressed giggle, Tigress turned quickly and left the bathhouse, shutting the door promptly behind her.

Z and Tai Lung remained silent for a few more moments.

"Now look what you did!" Tai Lung said angrily to Z.

"What are you so worried about?" Z said rather nonchalantly. "She didn't even seem concerned."

"Of course she did," Tai Lung shot back. "Now she probably thinks I'm gay!"

"How do you know you're not?" Z said in a husky voice, and moved himself closer to Tai Lung.

"Don't say that! _We're_ _in a goddamn bath together!_" Tai Lung yelled, and flailed around in the water.

"Only joking, Tai," Z said, bursting into a fit of laughter. He got up quickly, and wrapped a towel around himself before leaving the bathhouse.

_Jeez,_ Tai Lung sighed to himself as he sat back in the now-otherwise-vacant bathtub. _I am most certainly the unluckiest leopard in the world…

* * *

_

Tigress sat on her bed, still feeling hot and prickly from the scene she'd just witnessed.

_Just my luck,_ Tigress lamented to herself. _I finally work up the courage to ask Tai Lung if he wants me to wash his back, and then _this _happens… _

As she considered the whole scenario more and more, Tigress began to snicker, which soon turned into full-blown laughter. She fell asleep with the ghost of a smile still on her face.


	35. Sketch of Summer

A dreamy midsummer's day caught the participants of the San Xue Xiao tournament in the middle of a "Day of Respite."

The Jade Palace students, die-hards as they were wont to be, had gotten up early to train in the crisp morning air; now at midday, Po, Monkey, and Tai Lung were relaxing in the sun-bathed kitchen, bantering idly amongst themselves. Tigress and Viper had gone into the village to watch a troupe of performers at a summer festival, and Mantis and Crane, intoxicated by the redolent mead of summer weather, had taken a sudden interest art; they now worked furiously at easels placed in scenic spots around the Palace.

The Lee Da Academy had decided to sleep in; the Rough Rhinos had made plans to visit the pub in the evening. Mei Ling meandered through the palace gardens, enjoying the summer colours of the local flowers. Z had gone to visit Seiko in the city, and the two felines were at present walking along a quiet canal street, discussing the finer points of… interspecies dating.

* * *

The members of the Tian Na Organization, on the other hand, were not enjoying the day. Instead, they were huddled together in Master Zuihan's guest dormitory. Although the windows were open, no one seemed affected by the tantalizing scent of summer wafting in. Warm rays of golden sunlight pooled around the feet of the Axiom, but alas, went unnoticed. The four cheetah warriors had been summoned to their master's room just minutes ago, and they waited respectfully for the old and timeworn eagle to speak.

After a time, he did.

"Do you four remember what I said to you on the day I formed the Axiom?" Zuihan said, his strident voice weary.

"You made us swear an oath of fealty to you, sir," Soo responded, remembering quite clearly.

"You made us promise that we would obey all of your commands without question, sir," Liu continued respectfully.

"So you do remember," Zuihan stated flatly, looking away slightly.

Zuihan took several paces around the small room, murmuring to himself about dust and spiders. Finally, he turned back to his students.

"Do any of you remember Mr. Übel?" Zuihan asked, this time not looking directly at the four cheetahs.

There was a short silence of contemplation, which was broken by Hu.

"He was the one that enlisted me to Tian Na when I was a small child, sir," the cheetah reminisced, thinking hard about his earliest memories. "He said I had potential that couldn't be wasted, and I had to join. That was that."

"I think I remember him too, sir" Yu said. "I believe he was a wolf. My parents were killed when raiders burned my village to the ground…" Yu swallowed hard. "He gave me a new life at Tian Na."

"I expected some of you might recall…" Zuihan said distractedly.

"With all due respect, sir," Hu began, a bit confused, "What does any of this have to do with… anything?"

Zuihan bit his lip, thinking about a response. After a moment of deliberation, he turned to face the Axiom.

"Mr. Übel is the founder of the Tian Na Organization," Zuihan stated. "He was the one who placed me in the position of master of combat, and he is the one responsible for discovering all of your talents. Without him, the Axiom would not exist. Needless to say, the Organization… and I, owe him a lot."

Zuihan paused and took a deep breath.

"He also holds a great deal of political power in the Southern Province. Since he has control over Tian Na, one of the finest military organizations in China, the politicians tend to listen quite readily to his 'advice.' He makes a lot of major decisions, including… deciding which territories the Southern Province will annex."

All of the members of the Axiom shifted uncomfortably as they began to recognize the sinister nature of the conversation.

"You might not know this," Zuihan continued, "but it was Mr. Übel himself who recommended that the Axiom compete in the San Xue Xiao; he has been personally overseeing our progress in the tournament…"

"Sir, if I may," Soo interjected. "What exactly does this all mean?"

The tension in the room felt crushing; the Axiom looked around at each other, no one quite sure what was going on.

"I didn't want to have to tell you like this," Zuihan said, very quietly, "but Mr. Übel feels that the time is right."

All four cheetahs stiffened.

"You see," Zuihan began hesitantly, "We're not _just_ here for the San Xue Xiao. All of us are on a secret mission to infiltrate the Jade Palace. To that extent, we have thus far succeeded. But Mr. Übel wants to execute the next part of the plan."

"I-infiltrate the Jade Palace?" Liu asked incredulously. "Sir, what on Earth is going on here?"

"_Liu!_" Zuihan snapped violently, "_Let me speak!_"

"A thousand pardons, sir," Liu replied softly, bowing his head.

"I'm sorry, Liu," Zuihan said, simmering down. "This is… a rather stressful time."

Zuihan took a slug from a hip flask before continuing.

"Hu, Soo, Liu, Yu. I want all of you to listen to me very carefully. No matter what you think of what I am about to say, remember the oath you swore to me on the day we met. I am your master, and you _shall _obey me. But more importantly, I am your friend. Anything I tell you to do will be for the good of the Organization. For the good of us."

The four cheetahs nodded in assent.

"Mr. Übel has ordered us…" Zuihan's voice trembled and choked. He swallowed heavily and began again. "He has ordered us to take control of the Jade Palace and to secure the Valley of Peace as a Southern Province territory."

All four of the Axiom turned a whiter shade of pale.

"H-how are we to t-take control of the J-Jade Palace?" Soo asked in a terrified voice, already anticipating the answer. "T-the Furious Five, Lee Da, they're all here…"

Zuihan wrung his hands together and took several deep breaths. He took another sip from his hip flask, and then threw it to the floor, where it shattered in an explosion of glass and alcohol. When he answered Soo's question, his voice was barely a whisper.

"We must kill them all."

Mixed expressions of horror, conflict and confusion registered on the faces of the four cheetahs. Soo, suddenly feeling very weak, held onto Yu for support. Liu hadn't fared much better, and was collapsed in a heap on the floor. Hu, however, seemed most visited by Zuihan's announcement, and had broken into uncontrollable trembles.

When he spoke, his voice was strange and possessed.

"I-I don't want to do it! I can't do it! Not now!"

Zuihan knelt before Hu.

"I-I'm so sorry, Hu," Zuihan said, taking the cheetah's paw. "I've seen the way you look at her, that Lee Da mountain cat." Tears began to from in Zuihan's eyes as well. "I know this is h-hard to accept, b-but things must be like this! If we don't succeed, we'll all surely be killed by M-Mr. Übel!"

Zuihan broke into sobs, uttering again and again, "_I didn't want things like this!_"

The members of the Tian Na Organization remained in the cramped room for quite some time, seeking solace among those who were unable to comfort. As the minutes and then hours passed, shock and confusion grew into abject misery and twisted anger.

* * *

The song of a nightingale sailed across the Valley of Peace.

To the common listener, it was a sure sign of summer, a pleasant reminder of the warm weather, of late mornings and later nights. But to the ears of the Tian Na Organization, it was an agonized battle cry; an envoy of the end.


	36. Before the Beginning

Thunder rumbled in the sky as the Valley of Peace woke up to another summer's day. The humid breeze was stifling, and the static charge in the air made one's fur stand on end.

In the Jade Palace, the day's tournament events had been suspended in anticipation of the weather, and all of the competitors had taken advantage of the brief hiatus and slept in. All of the competitors but one.

Hu crept anxiously out of his room in the guest dormitories, being sure to not wake his master or comrades. The lithe cheetah sneaked around the corner to the corridor given to the Lee Da Academy.

Hu stopped as he paced silently down the hallway, lost in thought.

_I have to tell Mei Ling about Übel's plans. I can't let her get hurt. _

Hu continued down the hall, but stopped again before he reached Mei Ling's door.

_Could I betray the Organization? _he thought to himself, and considered turning back._ If I tell Mei Ling about what's going to happen, I'll as good as have told the whole Palace._

Hu rubbed his palm against his forehead, conflicted. Finally, he shook himself, and continued down the hall.

_This _is_ the right thing to do,_ Hu told himself again and again, contemplating what he was going to say to Mei Ling. _I have to warn her about Mr. Übel's plans._

Hu put his hand on Mei Ling's door- he was about to slide it open when he felt a sudden weight on his tail.

Spinning around quickly, Hu jumped at the sight of Master Zuihan glaring at him.

"_What_ do you think you're doing, Hu?" Zuihan whispered sternly, taking his foot off Hu's tail.

Hu stood in silence for a moment before answering.

"I'm doing what my heart is telling me."

"Are you a warrior or a weakling?" Zuihan spat coldly. "I never thought I'd see the day when one of _my_ students let false emotions blind him."

"There is nothing false about my feelings for Mei Ling, _sir_," Hu replied, an edge to his voice. "You even said yourself that you don't agree with Übel. How can you live with yourself, knowing that innocent people like Mei Ling will be killed in his horrid plot?"

"Übel told me to execute his 'horrid plot' as a master's command. I have respect and obedience for my master, as you should have for yours."

"Just _listen_ to you," Hu said condescendingly. "You've convinced yourself that, as long as you do what Übel says, everything will be fine. But here's the thing- Übel may have given me the opportunity to be who I am today, but I think there's something seriously off about his logic."

"No matter what you think of Mr. Übel, we have our orders," Zuihan said resolutely. "We _must _do as he says!"

"I'm telling Mei Ling," Hu said in a resigned sort of way, and turned back to the door.

With blinding speed, Zuihan grabbed Hu by the collar and spun him around to face him.

"_I can't let you do that,"_ Zuihan blurted, his voice rising to a fever pitch. "You don't understand how important this is to Mr. Übel! Although I'd regret it, I will not hesitate to stop you myself, right here, right now! For the sake of the Organization! For the sake of you!"

Hu briefly considered fighting, but then dropped to his knees in front of Zuihan.

"F-forgive my insubordination," Hu muttered, his voice seething with anger.

Zuihan offered a hand to help Hu up, but the cheetah batted it away.

"Do what you need to for your Organization," Hu spat viciously. "Do what you need to appease Mr. Übel. But don't tell me that this is for my own sake. Please, don't tell me that."

Bitter tears formed in the corners of Hu's eyes as he walked quickly back down the hall, and out of the dormitory.

Zuihan watched Hu go, and almost regretted stopping him from telling Mei Ling.

_This has to be, though,_ Zuihan tried to reassure himself. _If we disobey Übel, that will be the end of me, the end of the Axiom, the end of everything I have worked for my entire life to create. This has to be…_

But as Zuihan considered the situation more and more, he began to believe less and less that Übel's plan had any good in it at all.

* * *

_Midday-_

Po had finally worked up the motivation to brave the tumultuous storm to go out shopping for the night's groceries. He, Mantis, and Tigress were sitting in the kitchen, and Tigress was insistent on Po doing the shopping before the weather got any worse.

"We should really keep this pantry stocked better," Po complained as he donned a wide hat and drew a cloak around him.

"You're the one who used all our ingredients trying to make that ridiculous dish last night, so you're the one who should replace them," Tigress replied coolly.

"I don't mean to add insult to injury, pal," Mantis continued," but shouldn't you of all people have recognised that something was wrong when the preparation ended up being about twenty times too big for the pot?"

"Jeez," Po muttered, sauntering towards the door. "Just because a guy makes the mistake of thinking 'tsp' stands for 'two square pounds...'"

Tigress watched Po leave the kitchen, and sighed to herself. Deciding she would go to the training hall for some light practice, Tigress excused herself from Mantis and turned the corner out of the doorway as well.

From his seat at the kitchen table, Mantis suddenly heard Tigress gasp in surprise, and then mutter, "Oh, it's you." There was then the dull thud of fist meeting fur, and a fleeting shadow whizzed past the kitchen doorway.

Mantis leapt up from his seat and darted into the hallway, only to find it empty.

"Tigress? Tigress!" he called, his eyes darting around the hall. "Where did you go? Tigress?"

_This is really odd,_ Mantis thought to himself, and started down the hallway to fetch Master Shifu and the others.

Mantis scurried apprehensively down the corridor, but stopped dead when he heard a creak from behind him. Before he could turn around, his world went black.

* * *

_Just a few minutes earlier-_

Po bent his head against the driving rain as he approached the Palace gates.

_Man,_ he thought. _How am I going to get down the stairs in this weather?_

As Po drew nearer to the stairs, he noticed a hooded figure standing just before the doors to the Jade Palace.

"Hey!" Po called out, squinting through the rainy bleakness, "Do you need something? Autograph? Rescue from bandits? Anything?"

A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky as the hooded figure turned to face Po. It said nothing, but instead darted in Po's direction.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Po exclaimed, and backed up, suddenly feeling very uneasy.

Suddenly the dark assailant was right on top of Po; the Dragon Warrior's last memory before the abyss of unconsciousness was a glint of white from under the cloak.

* * *

_About half an hour later-_

_This is the good life,_ Po thought to himself, reclining on the white sand of the beach. The sun was shining, the breeze was cool, and the seaside water looked beautiful.

_I should go for a dip,_ Po decided, and launched himself into the waves. As soon as he hit the water, Po began to realize that something wasn't quite right.

_Hmm,_ Po thought to himself, _this water's awfully cold for the seaside... _Just then, the world began to dissolve around Po. The sunny sky turned gray and bleary, the cool breeze suddenly became a biting wind, and the sun was sucked behind a mass of black clouds.

Blinking awake, Po found himself slumped in a large puddle outside the gates of the Jade Palace. The rain was heavier than ever, and Po had a splitting headache.

_What the heck is going on here?_ Po asked himself as he picked himself up and ran through the gates. _Who was that spook that pummeled me, and what was he doing here?_

Suddenly though, Po skidded to a stop.

_I could be walking into a trap!_ he thought to himself, and assumed a kung fu stance.

"Stealth mode activate!" he announced, and dropped into a crawling position on his stomach.

Po slithered (wobbled, really) across the Palace grounds, trying as best as he could to avoid open space.

Po was humming an action tune to himself when a pair of hands covered his mouth, and whisked him into one of the Jade Palace's side rooms.

The discombobulated Dragon Warrior found himself inside a broom closet staring up at Monkey, Tai Lung, and Viper.

"What in the world..." Po began loudly, before being hushed by the others.

"Keep it down!" Viper chided, glancing around nervously. "Something really weird is going on!"

"Will somebody please tell me what?" Po whispered breathlessly, sitting up.

"It seems that we're under attack," Tai Lung stated flatly, raising his eyebrows.

"We don't know that for sure," Viper responded, "but The Furious Five _are_ disappearing one by one."

"D-disappearing?" Po stammered. "You mean like, kapoosh, gone?"

"Absolutely no warning," Monkey affirmed. "I was talking to Crane, I turn my back for one second, and when I look back, he's gone!"

"Something similar happened to Shifu," Tai Lung reported. "We were fixing a leak on top of the roof. He climbed down to get another shingle, but when he got to the ground, the ladder fell. I went to the edge to see if he was alright, but there was no one there- as if he had just been spirited away."

"Luckily, Tai Lung found Monkey and I before we were caught," Viper said, coiling up next to Po. "We were just searching for the others when we ran into you."

"Er..." Po said, looking slightly confused, "how did you spot me? I was in stealth mode!"

"If that's your idea of stealth," Tai Lung jeered, snickering, "than you should really reread that 'Solid Snake Stealth Scroll' from Viper's father."

Chuckling sheepishly, Po stood up and stretched.

"So what happened to Tigress and Mantis?" he asked, cracking his neck.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Viper said, leaning forward. "Weren't you the last one with them?"

"Yeah," Po replied, "but when I left the kitchen both of them were still there. I was on my way out to do the shopping when some creep knocked me out at the top of the stairs."

"Some creep?" Tai Lung asked, suddenly much more interested. Did you get a good look at him? Who was it?"

"I dunno," Po replied, scratching his head. "He was wearing this hooded cloak, and I could hardly see through the rain."

"He must be the one that got Tigress and Mantis!" Tai Lung concluded, and stood up. "We have to find him!"

"Wait a minute Tai Lung," Monkey said, pulling Tai Lung back from the door. "Let's think about this. The person who attacked Po left him there, but all the others have just vanished. Do you think that the person who left the Dragon Warrior outside the Jade Palace was the same person who kidnapped the rest of the Five?"

Tai Lung remained silent for a moment, and then sat back down.

"I don't know," Tai Lung groaned, holding his head in his palms.

"Monkey's right," Viper said, nodding. "It seems to me that there is the distinct possibility of _two_ parties in the Jade Palace trying to achieve different goals."

"Great," Po said sarcastically. "So we've got more than one baddie in the Palace, and we don't know who any of them are, or what they want. What can we do?"

"Wait," said Monkey resolutely. "Wait and try to figure out what in the world is going on."

"Wait?" Tai Lung burst out incredulously. "But who knows what they're doing to Tigress... (Viper cast him a meaningful grin here) and the others? I was going to say 'the others' as well, thank you very much."

"We can't afford to lose any more of us," Monkey stated. "We have to tread very lightly."

"So we use stealth!" Po concluded, and assumed the "stealth mode" position.

"So we use stealth," said a familiar voice from beside Po.

Everybody in the room jumped as they realised that none other than Master Shifu was standing next to Po.

"M-m-m-master Shifu!" he said in disbelief. "How did you get here?"

"You honestly think those amateurs could have kept me bound up for long?" Shifu replied in his gruff voice, and dusted off his shoulders. "In fact, the only reason it took me so long to escape is because I wanted to see where they were taking me."

"Who is 'they,' master?" Viper asked.

"It's got to be those blasted cheetahs," Shifu said, shaking his head. "They were cloaked, but the morons took me straight to the guest dormitories and locked me in that room with all the spiders."

"Do you know where the others are?" Monkey asked hopefully.

"You see," Shifu said looking puzzled, "that's the thing that's been confusing me. I had already suspected that something similar might have happened to all of you, so I took a peek into the other rooms in the guest dormitories; oddly enough, there was nobody else around."

"What does this mean?" Viper asked worriedly.

"It means that either I was taken significantly earlier than the others, they were taken somewhere else, or that our captors were not the same," Shifu replied, thinking the situation over.

"Interesting you should say that," Tai Lung jumped in. "We have also come to the conclusion that there is more than one body at work right now."

"Why is that?" Shifu asked bluntly.

Po retold his story to Shifu, who had begun pacing nervously in the closet.

"Troubling..." Shifu muttered as he paced some more. "I wonder then, was it the cheetahs who took the others? And where is the second intruder now?"

"We need clues," Monkey said, shrugging his shoulders. "But how can we find them?"

"We've already figured out all that we can by sitting around here," Tai Lung said impatiently. "What we need is action. Every moment we sit here is another moment that Tigress _and the others, Viper,_ are in danger."

"As much as I regret what my agreement entails," Shifu said reluctantly, "Tai Lung has a point. We need to go out searching for answers. But be very careful. We are dealing with something we may not know how to handle. The Axiom, whatever their game is, are certainly a threat. But on top of that, we have absolutely no information about the second intruder except for the fact that he was able to knock out the Dragon Warrior within seconds. This is a dangerous situation, and the smallest slip-up could cost you your life."

"So what do we have to do, Master?" Po asked on behalf of the gathered warriors.

Shifu spent the next several minutes divvying up tasks. Viper, Monkey, and Tai Lung were to travel as a threesome and search for Tigress, Crane, and Mantis, while Po and Shifu would search for the second intruder. At the slightest sign of anything suspicious, evasion of detection was of utmost importance. Engage in combat if only absolutely necessary. After approximately fifteen minutes, everyone was to regroup in the Hall of Heroes, assuming that the location was not compromised by intruders. If so, return to the broom closet.

Shifu wished all of his students good luck before standing up. He stood poised to push open the broom closet door.

"On my signal," he whispered.

The closet door swung open, and immediately the warriors gathered inside sprung silently into the wailing storm. Although their movements were concealed by swaying trees and pouring rain, a sense of dread had descended upon the five- imbued into all of their hearts was a deep fear: fear of the unknown.


End file.
